


I Wanna Dance With Somebody

by SpiraledIntoThisRabbithole



Category: Figure Skating RPF, Olympics RPF
Genre: Celebrity Tessa, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Gen, Mentioned Other Figure Skaters, Pro Dancer Scott, Romantic Fluff, plenty of other figure skaters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-25
Updated: 2021-01-19
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:28:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 57,679
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21562255
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpiraledIntoThisRabbithole/pseuds/SpiraledIntoThisRabbithole
Summary: Scott Moir has spent nearly a decade as a pro on Dancing with the Stars, and he's very good at his job, even though he's started to feel rather bored. He never expected to pair up with Tessa Virtue this season though.Tessa barely thought of herself as a celebrity. She's just a journalist and co-host on television who somehow found herself signing up to dance live in front of millions every week. Thankfully, they paired her up with a friend.
Relationships: Scott Moir & Tessa Virtue, Scott Moir/Tessa Virtue
Comments: 285
Kudos: 216





	1. Joining the Show

**Author's Note:**

> Look, I know there is already an excellent Strictly VM fic by iwantthemtostay. It is one of my favs, and I remember reading it on livejournal (which is super hard to do btw). But I do love DWTS, and readers of my fic might be able to tell I enjoy dance reality television, based on how I have a SYTYCD VM AU, and threw in a WoD reference in Something to Talk About and am now (after resisting for over a year) starting a DWTS AU. This concept has been percolating for a long time because VM are just so suited for this show, and I just wanted to do my own take. However, anyone else who wants to read a great Strictly AU, I recommend iwantthemtostay’s version. 
> 
> And can I say, it was really fun casting the celebs and pros for DWTS! Thanks to N and J, for brainstorming with me. There were many, many possible combinations with people getting shuffled around and skaters getting kicked out. I’m not certain how much they will all feature in the plot, but I like to set the background of these AUs in my mind, even if I never write about it.

**2007**

Scott’s a nervous wreck. 

He still can’t believe he’s on Dancing with the Stars. Just three months ago, he had been contemplating whether he should stay in the UK. He had just finished playing the lead role of Ren in the original London production of Footloose, and after the good reviews he had received, he knew there was a future for him in the West End. But then the producers of DWTS had called, and he knew he had to tryout. 

Dancers don’t usually get paid that well, and DWTS was probably the best-paying gig a latin or ballroom dancer could even dream about. Furthermore, Danny was on the show and had been there for about a year now, after being poached from a Burn the Floor production that had been touring across North America. Scott’s oldest brother was the main reason he even started dancing in the first place, and Scott couldn’t give up the chance to work with him and actually live in the same city. They haven’t really done so since Scott was eleven.

The seven years gap between them, meant that their competitive careers never overlapped. And Danny had long started working in the industry when Scott was just starting to do really well in competitions, winning both the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) World Latin Championship and the Under-21 Latin Title at Blackpool. His cousin Leanne has also been in an early season of DWTS, so Scott knew he would be treated to an exciting and challenging experience.  _ If _ he managed to get through the producers and the audition process.

There were after all, only six slots for male professional dancers on the show each season. So Scott honestly thought he was trying out for one of the troupe members. That helped supplement the opening and big pro numbers on the show.

And then he got through. 

And not for troupe, but as an actual DWTS pro.

_ Holy shit! _

Scott Moir is twenty years old and he’s officially the newest and youngest male pro in DWTS. Can anyone blame him for being all jittery and being this close to completely falling apart into pieces!

He’s still not quite sure what got him in. His dance resume is pretty good, but apparently since the franchise first started, every competent latin and ballroom dancer in the world has tried to get on the various DWTS and Strictly versions that have popped up. 

He suspects the connection to Danny helped, but then again lots of the pros have dancer siblings, friends and partners who’ve also been knocking on DWTS’ door. The American version is after all the holy grail of the franchise. Yet somehow, DWTS called  _ him _ up to audition. And they selected him. So Scott knows he should be comforted or reassured by that. 

But now that he has the job, Scott is just worried he’ll screw it up. So many pros only last like a season, or get dropped from their contract after a year. Leanne his cousin for instance, was only a pro for one season before she got moved to troupe and then dropped. She still has great things to say about the show, really enjoying her time there, but Scott is well aware of the fickle minds of producers and audiences. 

So he really,  _ really _ doesn’t want to mess this up.

He’s gotten through the chats with the producers, the costumes and logistics teams, he’s done his little video package introducing him to audiences... Today, however, is the big day in which he is meeting his partner for the first time. And Scott’s never felt more like a kid playing grown up than when he’s standing outside this nice mansion in Beverly Hills, with no clue who is supposed to be behind that main door.

Scott knows that an assistant director and a camera crew is already set up in the house. And Danny has assured him that an AD will prompt him in the event that he doesn’t recognise his partner (apparently it happens more often than one thinks, especially with most of the pros coming from abroad, and then of course many celebs are either older or come from rather niche fields). 

Basically, Danny has told him the AD will try to ensure a smooth introduction and if Scott screws up, then it’s just down to his own stupidity. (Scott’s been in LA for a mere week, and already he’s remembering what it’s like to be bossed around by his big brother. He’s realising he’s forgotten quite a lot.)

Anyway, he rubs his palms together to gear himself up and then after a deep breath, he rings the bell. 

He gets ushered into an almost blindingly all-white sitting room with little accents of black and grey. There are a number of people already in the room, including the crew. However the junior AD present, a Suzanne Killing who Scott recognises because he met her just three days before, directs him towards an older woman with a short blond bob standing in the centre. She looks vaguely familiar, but Scott wouldn’t be able to identify her if his life depended on it.

He keeps the smile on his face though, as he’s introduced to Kate Virtue, the well-known fashion designer. The name does ring a bell, but clearly it isn’t ringing anything substantial for Scott.

Kate notices the slight hesitant look on his face, and thankfully she laughs loudly. Claiming she doesn’t expect a young man like him to have  _ any _ idea who she is. He rapidly gets introduced to the other members of her family in the room. All four of her children, Casey, Kevin, Jordan and Tessa, have come to support Kate and to meet her new partner. All Scott can think about is how almost everyone in the room, except Kate’s youngest daughter, is older than him.

Talk about feeling like a kid!

He thinks he comes across like a rational human being and a competent dance professional though. He reassures Kate that they’ll have some fun on the show, learn a few dances and hopefully achieve whatever she wants out of the show.

When he asks her why she agreed to do the show, Kate explains she knows her chances of winning are low. Especially as a woman in her late fifties whose background is in fashion design, and not performing or competing. However, when the DWTS offer came, she recognised it as an intriguing challenge and a chance to do something different. So she said yes!

“You have your work cut out for you!” Kate says, again with a laugh.

“Nah… if you can conquer the fashion industry, a few dance steps is nothing. The competition is also a varied thing, we don’t know who else is in the cast and how well everyone can dance, but you’ll definitely get a chance to try something new. Have you any dance experience?”

As Kate tries to dither, Tessa chimes in sweetly. “Mother used to dance when she was a teenager.”

“You did?”

With a sigh, Kate shares, “I did a bit of ballet as a young girl but didn’t pursue it further. That was decades ago though, and I don’t have any of that flexibility anymore.”

Scott just grins back. “Well, we’ll figure all that out once we get to the studio.”

“And no matter what, Mom will at least work with the costume designers on the show to make sure you two are the best looking pair ever!” Kevin jokes.

As Scott joins everyone laughing, he thinks to himself that the Virtue family seems really nice.

=====

**2017**

Scott can’t believe it’s his tenth year doing DWTS. He hasn’t quite clocked twenty seasons, for example he was allowed to take that one season off to do a movie (that was hard fought by the way, but his agent was able to negotiate since ABC and the producers didn’t want him to walk away from the show). But he’s pretty much spent the  _ entirety _ of his twenties in LA, doing DWTS twice a year. It’s rather amazing that he’s been able to make a pretty good career for himself through dance. 

He is getting tired though. Actually, he’s been getting these little bouts of boredom and tiredness for a long while now, which is why he has all his side projects during the off season such as choreographing, teaching, acting, and presenting. It just provides him with something  _ different _ for him to chew on during the year. 

The truth is as much as Scott still enjoys choreography and teaching someone to dance and grow throughout the season, he sometimes wonders if he will one day grow to resent the show. If ten years from now, he will still be on DWTS, but he’ll be grumpy at the thought of having to take yet another celeb with little to no dance experience through their paces. 

He thinks about Patrice Lauzon (better known to all as Patch), who has been on the show from the very start, and he just knows he doesn’t have the same fortitude as the older man. Scott has learned loads about being patient and nurturing over the years, but he is nowhere as natural at it as Patch is. Scott’s aware he’s got a rather secure pro slot on the show. He has also been around long enough to be able to negotiate season-by-season contracts with ABC at a rather good rate, instead of being locked into an exclusive five or seven season contract with little leeway or negotiating power. 

So he can take more seasons off if he really wanted to… 

_ Does he want to though? _

The producers have sensed his wavering for some years now, and so have been both generous and shrewd with the opportunities they allow him to pursue both on and off season (such as allowing him to do that movie instead of shutting it down, or giving him more and more choreography showcase opportunities on the show). But is it enough? Danny has mentioned that Scott is way too loyal to the show, and could have moved on from it to other opportunities ages ago. And it’s true that Scott’s been really comfortable at DWTS. It is after all a really good and secure living for a professional dancer…

In any case, the show has lured him back again, and here he is in front of yet another house, about to meet yet another celebrity partner. 

Again, Scott feels a frisson of excitement running through his body. He  _ loves _ this part of the show. Meeting someone new and not knowing what their capability and potential might be, embarking with them on this exhausting and yet ultimately rewarding journey of self-discovery, and of course, all the wonderful dancing they’ll be able to do together! There are just so many possibilities at the start of the season!

He cocks his head and looks up at the apartment building in front of him. Wondering what kind of celebrity might live in this modern high-rise, instead of the multitude of mansions over at Beverly Hills. His experience and familiarity with the show immediately sets his mind racing with ideas. Clearly, it isn’t one of those established actresses or performers who’s lived in LA for years. This is a young, fairly hip neighbourhood with trendy cafes and fashion boutiques popping up just around the corner. 

Maybe it’s someone from out of town who’s decided to rent an apartment here while they are doing the show? Gosh he hopes they don’t have a hectic travel schedule. Those are always hard to balance whilst doing DWTS. He remembers when he competed (and won) with Yuna Kim, the popstar. She had more than a few performances and appearances out of state during the season, and those weeks were really tough for them to practice and rehearse before the live shows. Scott is still honestly surprised they won. Not because she isn’t talented (she’s probably the best partner he’s ever had technically), but because they were both so jet lagged all the time.

He also wonders if the producers made the decision for them to meet all their celebs at home this year (instead of a studio), or if it was a request from this celeb. It changes each year, but Scott is aware the secrecy is usually meant to help keep the cast list quiet for as long as possible. Sometimes however it’s to help ease the celeb comfortably into the process by having them meet their pro on home turf instead of a foreign, scary dance studio. 

He checks the address he was given again, before ringing the doorbell of the apartment 17A. The door is opened by Suzanne, one of his favourite ADs on the show. 

“Hi Suzie!” Scott reaches to give her a quick hug and kiss on the cheek. “Any hints before I go into the room and embarrass myself by my lack of pop culture knowledge?” 

The show will edit the package accordingly so it’s not too embarrassing for the celebrity if they aren’t recognised, but that doesn’t mean it’s not awkward in the moment when Scott stands there in front of his new partner, with no clue who they are. It happens to him  _ a lot  _ (it’s a bit of a joke amongst the crew that he’s hopeless at recognising celebrities) and Suzanne has rescued him a number of times in the past. The ADs never outright tell you who you’re meeting since the producers think it will spoil the “surprise” element of the shot, but the nice ones like Suzanne might give you a hint of what field you might be wading into, like music or sports, etc. 

“I don’t think you need to worry about this one.” Suzanne smiles teasingly at him. “You should recognise her, otherwise you should be very ashamed of yourself.”

Scott’s brow furrows. That means his partner is likely in sports? That’s the only category of celebrity which he has a stronger knowledge about. 

With a mental shrug, he walks towards the room Suzanne directs him towards. The whole apartment matches the modern, clean lines of building. There’s a lot of white everywhere with pops of grey and lavender around the place, and when he walks into the living room, it’s like deja vu. For a split second, Scott flashes back to when he was an extremely blur and dorky new pro on the show.

But the woman standing before him, is not that young fresh-faced teenager he remembers about to go off to college. She’s the poised woman that’s on the television every day, talking with her co-hosts on The View about the day’s news and all sorts of topics ranging from politics to pop culture, or sharing tips on beauty, fashion, diet and relationships. 

“Tessa Virtue?!?” He exclaims in delight. 

Tessa gives a squeal of excitement as she rushes over to him, where he’s waiting with arms open wide. “I didn’t think they would partner us together! Oh, I’m so glad!”

He laughs heartily as he hugs her as tight as humanly possibly, while she squeezes him just as firmly back.

When he finally places her back down on her feet, he takes a moment to slowly take her in. “I can’t believe you are doing the show!”

“I know! I can’t believe they even asked. And I admit I’m  _ terrified  _ which is why I’m so,  _ so happy _ I got paired with you! I didn’t think they’d waste you on me, but oh, I finally feel I can breathe a little since I said yes to the show!”

“Oh T, we are going to have so much fun together!” Scott declares gleefully. 

Unlike some unknown female celebrity he would have to get to know better, he’s already familiar with Tessa. He likes to think they could be considered friends, even though he’s barely seen her in the ten years they’ve theoretically known each other. 

Tessa went off to college in Connecticut shortly after his debut season at DWTS with her mother. Then if he recalls the updates from Kate accurately, she moved to New York after graduation and became a contributing writer for HuffPost, then MSNBC and eventually became an ABC News contributor. Along the way, she wrote a book or two, and about a year ago, she got hired at The View, which is when she apparently moved back to LA. 

Throughout these years, Scott’s probably only met her a handful of times. Like at Kate Virtue’s annual Christmas party in early December where she serves the best mashed potatoes (Scott does not share this fact with his own mother). But during her mother’s DWTS season, she used to pop by the studio quite often to support Kate, and Scott likes to think he got to know her pretty well then. 

Suzanne interrupts their reunion so that she can ask them a few questions for the show’s video package, and Scott is surprised to discover he’s forgotten the crew’s presence in the room. It doesn’t happen that often. Usually only when he’s immersed in figuring out choreography, since it’s hard to forget there are other people (and cameras) around. 

He knows it’s only because he got partnered with Tessa but he’s genuinely excited to spend the upcoming weeks with her. The slight lethargy he was faced with an hour ago has completely dissipated. 

=====

Tessa’s squeezing Scott’s hand so tightly, she’s probably crushing all the delicate bones in his fingers. She’s only surprised he hasn’t protested or tried to pry apart her grip to save his hand. He is a dancer after all, so she suspects his hands are really important (maybe not as important as his feet, but surely rather vital for partner dances in general). 

She really should be more comfortable though. She’s in the holding room of Good Morning America, which is just a few sets down from where she works at ABC News and the View, and so many of the employees at the morning show are friends of hers.

But she’s meeting her fellow cast mates for the first time (they are about to do the big DWTS cast and partnering reveal on GMA). And when she looks around the room, she only tightens her grip on Scott even more. 

Just across the room is tennis legend Shae-Lynn Bourne (Tessa’s older brother Kevin used to have a bit of a crush on her) and next to her is the singer Robin Cousins (who was really big in the 70s). She recognises most of the other faces, like Andrew Poje, a soap actor, Javier Fernandez, an Olympic gymnast, and Tracy Wilson, a politician… but when she catches sight of Michelle Kwan standing next to one of the pros, Patrice Lauzon, Tessa nearly chokes. The actress had starred in one of the most popular television shows in the 90s (based on Les Miserables), and Tessa and her siblings practically grew up watching her show. Ninety percent of the country probably knew who she was. She has to grab Scott’s arm extra hard to stop herself from rushing over to introduce herself.

For about the hundredth time since she received the call from the show’s producers, Tessa wonders how she managed to get cast in the first place, and how many people turned DWTS down before they reached her as a potential contestant. In her mind, she’s a boring staid journalist who hasn’t even made her name in the industry yet - being fairly young in a field where most of her colleagues are older and much more established. 

As she goes around the room meeting everyone, she’s certain that plenty of the other celebs are wondering about her presence as well. They are also probably envious of how she’s been paired up with Scott - the most successful pro on DWTS with  _ five _ Mirrorballs. A few of the other pros have good records, having won the trophy twice before, like Maxim Trankov or Patrick Chan. But given her level of celebrity and fame, Tessa personally thought she would be partnered with the new pro, Jeremy Abbott who’s only been on the show two seasons (he replaced the lackluster Paul Poirer whose partner had been the second one out his debut season. Paul hadn’t been back on the show since). 

Frankly, Tessa’s been a walking ball of nerves ever since she lost her mind and signed the contract for DWTS. 

She had consulted her mother immediately after the offer came in, and Kate had such a fabulous time on the show that she had practically screamed encouraged Tessa to take it up. Also if Tessa had rejected the show then, the offer wouldn’t come by again and Kate said she knew Tessa would regret it. That solemn pronouncement coupled with the intense excitement from her mother had convinced Tessa to say yes to the show.

Being the conscientious employee that she was, Tessa had obviously first checked with her bosses on whether they could accommodate her busy schedule for the show. Only to learn they too had been delighted at this example of corporate synergy. 

However once she signed the contract, it hit her fully that she would be dancing on live television  _ every week.  _ That realisation promptly led Tessa to run to the nearest bathroom where she suddenly became intimately familiar with the porcelain in her new apartment. 

The truth was Tessa had never been fond of performing, which is why she had dropped out of dance as a young girl to concentrate her attention on writing. The solitary nature of writing was enticing for the young introvert, and she loved diving into a brand new world or subject whenever she was reading or writing something. Even now that she’s on television, she’s either just presenting the news or giving her views about issues. No performing is involved. At all. 

She remembers talking it through with Jordan and her mother, who waved away her fears, promising Tessa she was going to enjoy being on the show. They were biased though, Kate for obvious reasons, and Jordan because she was probably just as excited about the opportunity as Kate. 

*

_ “This is completely awesome! I’m so excited for you! Who do you think they will pair you with?” Jordan asks, after Tessa first shared with her the news, and Jordan had finished squealing. Loudly. They were sitting at the counter of Tessa’s kitchen, devouring pizza. It was after all the last time Tessa probably could do so without feeling self-conscious about those skin-tight outfits headed her way.  _

_ “Well the producers did ask if I had a preference, but I said I would be happy with anyone. Is there really a correct answer for that question?” _

_ “Yes, there is! You should have said Stephane and then you can introduce him to me!” Jordan waggles her eyebrows. “He’s still single right?” _

_ “No idea. But I think so?” _

_ Ever since their mother’s stint on the show, the two sisters had followed DWTS fairly regularly over the years, and Tessa knows Jordan found two of the male pros, Maxim Trankov and Stephane Lambiel particularly attractive. Maxim however, is happily married with another pro on the show (with an adorable toddler), so Stephane is apparently who the newly single Jordan is planning on focusing her energies on. Tessa had no doubt that her older sister will be showing up on set and at rehearsal as often as she can to ‘support’ her.  _

_ “You know I can introduce him to you whether or not he’s my partner?” _

_ “Ok! I’m totally holding you on to that. And I expect some actionable intel.” Jordan grins wildly. “But I thought you would have liked being paired with Scott? We’ve discussed this before in our hypothetical discussions of being on the show. Strategically, based on his track record, you know he’s gotten all his partners to at least the half-way mark. Plus, you know him already.”  _

_ Jordan pauses to take a big bite of her pizza, before squinting at her sister, tilting her head a little. “Actually, I bet the two of you would look really good together on the dance floor. Even height-wise, he’ll be perfect for you.” _

_ “I doubt the show will waste him on me though.” Tessa murmurs, ducking her head down. “I know he’s a popular pro and I’m sure a big-time celeb in the cast would have demanded him as her partner as part of the negotiations. I’m sure the producers will know best who to pair me up with.”  _

*

Tessa’s still not certain how she was lucky enough to get Scott. But she’s starting to suspect the producers might have a knack for pairing the right celebrity with the right pro. 

Since her partner reveal two days ago, Tessa has felt much less panicked about the whole experience. Even now, as they are about to go on GMA, she knows she is much more settled than she probably would be with if she had been paired with Stephane or Jeremy Abbot. Jeremy for example, is very talkative. Clearly he’s still new to the show and enthusiastic about starting a new season, but Tessa isn’t certain she can deal with how he’s bouncing off the wall talking to everyone. He actually seems an odd match with the more austere Tracy Wilson, who appears completely bemused by her hyperactive partner. But perhaps the producers thought Jeremy could draw Tracy’s personality out? 

Scott, on the other hand, is sitting beside her quietly in the hullabaloo of the lounge GMA had placed them in. It’s a little surprising because she recalls what an outgoing and extroverted personality he usually is. But at this moment, he seems to instinctively understand the calm and reassurance she needs, and is giving it to her before they all have to go on air. 

“You ok there, T?” He leans in to whisper in her ear. 

“I’ll be fine…” Tessa nods. She did the rounds earlier and spoke to all her fellow cast mates and their respective pros. But now, just before they go on air, she’s tucked herself into a little corner to take a few minutes for herself. “I always get a little antsy before I go on.” 

“So is this what you need? Or would you rather I make myself scarce somewhere else instead?”

“No, no!” She smiles tentatively at Scott, grabbing his hand. “This is good. I like quiet usually but you’ve been great and a little conversation helps settle my mind down and distracts me. For example, now that we know who the rest of the competition is, why don’t you share with me your expert views about this season’s cast?”

Scott raises an eyebrow at her. “You do recall that none of the couples have even rehearsed yet? One thing I’ve learned on this show is that you can never underestimate anyone. And even after the first week when we get a sense of who might technically be better dancers on the show, there’s still no way to guess what their eventual journey will be.”

“Oh come on!” Tessa elbows him playfully. “Indulge my nosy journalistic need to find out more information and background about everything before I dive into a new topic, story or situation. In fact, call it professional curiosity since it’s practically a job hazard! Plus…” she leans in closer to whisper, “you know you can trust me, and once we get into a studio, we can’t exactly speculate frivolously like this without the cameras catching our conversation?”

“Fine…” Scott gives in with an exaggerated sigh. But there’s a slight twinkle in his eye, that lets Tessa know he’s amused rather than actually annoyed. “Who do you want to know about first?”

“Let’s do the female celebrities first. You know, my more immediate competition?”

“Well, Michelle Kwan is a big star. And I remember her being in that movie Fields of Gold? Didn’t she play a dancer there?” Tessa nods agreeingly. It was a favourite movie of hers growing up. “Plus she’s paired with Patch, and I never underestimate Patch. I think he’s the best teacher out of all of us pros actually. That’s why he’s the only pro from the pilot season still here.”

Scott’s quick summation confirms Tessa’s own views that Michelle has to be a front-runner. She’s betting once the cast is announced, all the bookies will immediately place Michelle at the top of the pack. Tessa herself is such a big fan, that even part of her wants Michelle to win!

“Kaetlyn Osmond is a member of a girl group so I’m assuming she has dance chops. Chiddy is my best friend so while I know I’m slightly biased about his skills, I’m also pretty certain they will do well.” Scott continues. “Whereas Kaitlyn Weaver was the Bachelorette? I don’t watch the show but I know there’s a big fandom out there and the celebrities from that show always get pretty far. Stephane was telling me she’s apparently really popular too because the guy she picked ended up being a real jerk?”

“Yes! We discussed it on the View actually. Major jerk.” Tessa nods firmly. “She’s totally better off.”

“And then politicians like Tracy Wilson don’t usually dance very well, but sometimes bipartisan politics can get them quite far? And lastly we have Shae-Lynn - a champion athlete. They always know how to thrive during a competition so I think Maxim and her will flourish very nicely together.”

“So basically everyone is a threat?” Tessa giggles at Scott’s solemn look.

“Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying!” Scott breaks into a boyish grin. “You want to hear how good the guys are likely to be as well?”

“Might as well.” Tessa shrugs vaguely with a smile. Even though what Scott is sharing should worry her, there is a big part of her who likes the fact that he isn’t coddling her. Trying to hide facts or information from her. Or treat her like a young girl who should be protected. She hates the way some of her older colleagues, especially the male ones, can sometimes just treat her like a kid. 

Also the blasé attitude she and Scott are both taking in this conversation somehow makes her feel more reassured. Like they really are going to be partners together this season. But won’t kill themselves over the competition (too much), if they can still laugh and joke about their fellow competitors. Her key objective is to have fun and push herself… Nonetheless, Tessa can also admit to herself that she really, really would like to win if possible. 

“Alright,” Scott starts listing the rest of the male celebrities with his fingers. “Firstly, we have Javier Fernandez, an Olympian and a gymnast. A rather intimidating combo, and basically they have like the best performance record on the show. While we’ve never had a male gymnast before, I’m sure he and Carolina will make it to the end, or very, very close to it. Then Nathen Chen is one of those Disney kids. They always end up doing extremely well since they’ve been trained to dance and perform before they can walk. He’s also with Piper, who’s one of our younger pros, so I’m sure the producers are expecting lots of youth, energy and crazy tricks out of them.”

“Hey, we’re young! I think I can do crazy tricks too.” Tessa exclaims. 

“Really?! I’m going to take your word for it and we can start practising a few once we start rehearsals. I saw this really cool backward flip thing once on this figure skating routine and I think we totally can adapt it for the dancefloor.” 

Scott seems excited by the idea, and Tessa wonders in amusement how long exactly has he wanted to do this lift. She’s not sure how keen she is to try lifts, but she doesn’t want Scott to think she isn’t game for it. They get sidetracked a little while Scott enthusiastically tries to describe the lift to her. But frankly, if she’s understanding it correctly (and she’s not really sure if she is), it doesn’t sound that feasible. Or maybe from her untrained ear, everything just sounds really difficult and slightly dirty?

“Are you two talking about lifts? Isn’t it a bit early? Don’t let him get too carried away.” Joannie Rochette says jokingly to Tessa. “Scott is our creative golden boy, but sometimes he gets too passionate!”

“Well, it just came up somehow, and I won’t!” Scott replies indignantly. Joannie laughs as she walks off to find her partner, Johnny Weir. “Which reminds me that we did get distracted from the conversation. Sorry about that!” 

“No worries. I think I’m going to get used to it.” Tessa says with an amused smirk. Suddenly remembering one of her mother’s Christmas parties, where one minute she’s updating Scott about her latest semester in school, and the next moment they’re talking about Audrey Hepburn’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and she’s in the car with him so that they can go find it together. 

Scott raises his eyebrows cheekily, before continuing. “Well, I have no idea how good Johnny will be. I’m not familiar with him at all.” He ducks his head down sheepishly. “I don’t really know Jeff Buttle either. We haven’t had many chefs on the show before, but Madison (Chock) was just saying he’s promised to bring down treats to the studio so I vote we should try to book the rehearsal room next to them as much as possible. Andrew Poje is on one of the soaps? Like Days of our Lives or General Hospital? I need to check with Tati on which, but even though the shows are dying out, their stars do fairly well because there’s quite an overlap between our audiences. And last but not least, Robin Cousins I know because my mother really likes his songs and used to sing them all the time. I’m sure he’ll be really popular with that demographic of the audience, which is fairly huge.”

“Johnny is on that fashion show, which is pretty popular. He’s been a guest on the show before.” Tessa says. “And so has Jeff. I’ve tried his recipes at home. They didn’t turn out so well, but that’s more a reflection of non-existent cooking skills more than anything. And I agree with you on Robin’s fanbase. My mother loves Robin’s music too and if... oh, do you think he would dance to one of his songs on the show?”

“Yes, I’m sure of it. Sasha (Cohen) will have to choreograph at least one of his songs. The producers will definitely fit it into one of the themed weeks.” Scott replies. “Or maybe the opening week instead?”

“Wait, do you know my first week’s song yet?” Tessa asks excitedly.

“No. Although everyone will start rehearsing tomorrow, the producers likely won’t tell us till next week. However, there are several theme weeks coming up. Like Guilty Pleasures Week or maybe My Jam Monday, whichever they pick this season. I heard Suzie mention there might be a Movie Week too… So if you have any favourite songs, we might be able to fix a dance around it. Do you have any?”

“Yes!” Tessa had actually discussed this very topic with Jordan previously. She is a big music lover so there are many possibilities she could pick. But there is only one song she would absolutely adore performing to. And she’s sure it should be able to fit one of the ballroom styles. “Have you ever watched Pride & Prejudice?”

“Oh no!” Scott groans.  _ “No way!”  _

“What’s wrong?!” Tessa exclaims, confused by the grimace in his expression. 

“The music is kinda blah. Plus, Pride & Prejudice has cravats, right? And those ridiculously uncomfortable clothing?”

“I love that soundtrack! And why should you care about outfits? I watch the show and you guys wear all kinds of crazy things! In fact, you dance in formal wear all the time! Tailcoats and black tie!”

“That’s different! It’s dance wear so they can be made more comfortable, plus they usually don’t go all the way up your neck like a noose!”

They end up bickering about cravats, breeches and waistcoats, versus bow ties, top hats, and tailcoats. Tessa is certain that she can convince him of their advantages. Scott retorts that he personally prefers not have any such accoutrements while on the floor, but if necessary, he is willing to recognise suspenders as the most comfortable accessory to dance in. 

By the time the assistant is ushering the cast out of the holding room, and the host is announcing their names on live television, Tessa had completely forgotten about her nerves. She’s fired up about the upcoming season and how to convert Scott on the P&P soundtrack.

When Elvis Stojko, the long-standing host of DWTS asks her what she’s looking forward to in the competition, Tessa answers truthfully. She’s scared, but wants to have fun, challenge herself and somehow get Scott into some kind of regency outfit for one of their routines. 

With a teasing wink at Scott, she adds, “We are all out of our comfort zone here, Elvis. Except for the pros, who are all champion dancers and have done this before. So I personally feel that Scott should be open to wearing a cravat one time. While I learn to dance in heels.”

“I think Tessa makes a fine point,” Elvis chuckles while everyone else in the audience roars with laughter. Scott just drops his head in mock despair and resignation, as Tessa pats his back in gleeful sympathy. “I remember your mother Kate Virtue did quite well on this show with Scott, but I suspect I’m going to enjoy your partnership even more!”

Tessa agrees wholeheartedly as she catches the quick wink Scott returns her. 

She’s glad she said yes to the show.

*****

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m sure many fans of DWTS out there can tell exactly who I’m basing Scott on. He’s basically Derek Hough (with a smidge of Val because of Danny). I’m doing this because it’s just easier for me to adapt and tweak his life for Scott (aka I’m lazy). Tessa however, is not really based on any of Derek’s partners, or any of the celebs per se. 
> 
> Also I wanted some sort of daily talk show for Tessa to be involved in, and I just decided on The View because again it was easier (and I don’t know that many from North America). Because she’s not the only main host, I also thought maybe she’d have more time to do DWTS. (Note: I know The View shoots in NYC, but let’s ignore that too)
> 
> The dances and music choices though... *sigh and collapse on bed*. If they don’t fit the timing, just go with it! We all know DWTS can not only pick terrible songs for the celebs but also shoehorn random songs into random dance styles all the time!


	2. Reconnecting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all, sorry I thought I would get this out earlier but my niece passed me something and completely flattened me for like a week. I’m still kinda out of it so any weird mistakes, blame it on the meds! And my adorable (and very contagious) three year old niece!

Tessa thinks she’s going to die. 

She always thought she would like Jive because it looked fun and is usually accompanied by such catchy and energetic music. She recalls how her mother had danced to George Michael’s Wake Me Up Before You Go Go her season with Scott, and honestly who doesn’t want to get up and dance to that song!

But stamina-wise, this dance is an absolute killer. Scott even admits that Jive can be difficult and is usually saved for later in the season (once they can level up certain celebrities’ stamina sufficiently). 

“But you are doing marvelously!” Scott will exclaim. “I think this is a great and fun way to introduce you on the show for the first week!”

Lies. All _ lies. _

She’s watched the show before and the snippets shown of his teaching style across the seasons indicate that Scott is really good with his students and supposedly quite nurturing. Able to bring out the best in them somehow, which is partly why they tend to stay longer and do better on the show than most would suspect at the start of the season. (The other part is clearly due to his superior choreography and immense popularity. No one ends up winning five Mirrorballs without being popular with the fans!)

Tessa now know lies must also form a fundamental core of his method to encourage his celeb partners. 

Because after the last run through, she had sort of just crumpled onto the ground. She’s laying on her back on the hard wooden floor, breathing so hard she can practically hear the wheezing protests of her lungs. Her heart is beating so fast she could swear it’s no longer contained in her chest but thudding away near her ears and forehead instead. She can hear it reverberating across her body like a taunt –  _ “You’re so unfit! How are you going to survive ten more weeks of this!” _

And she can’t  _ move. _ She thinks she might have to stay on the floor for the rest of the half hour before lunch break. In fact, someone might have to spoon-feed her, because she cannot fathom leaving this spot on the floor. 

Also, if Scott mentions  _ “again”  _ one more time… she might kick him. 

But she probably doesn’t have any energy to do so. Since that would require her leaving this lovely spot on the floor where she’s trying to catch her breath. 

Scott plonks down on the floor next to her. He takes a sip out of his water bottle, while offering her own bottle to her. Which is nice, except Tessa would have to sit up to partake in it. And she can’t manage that feat at the moment. 

“You’re doing real good, T!” Scott says. He’s drenched in sweat, like her. Probably more so (as guys always seem to perspire twice as much as them). But he isn’t breathing heavily  _ at all.  _ In fact, if it weren’t for the perspiration, she would declare him a robot because she’s dying and he’s just sitting there looking gorgeous as usual. 

Life is so unfair.

She can’t believe she used to think she was fit, and was quite proud of how she managed to hit the gym at least twice a week. Joannie had previously tried to assure her that gym fit isn’t the same as dance fit, and the stamina and muscles necessary for dance are not always the same as what normal people would typically train and buildup at the gym. But Tessa doesn’t care to remember such sensible logic at a time like this. 

She must have rolled her eyes because Scott continues with a wide grin, “Trust me, T. You are keeping up incredibly. Especially when you consider that it’s Jive. We just need to work on your kicks and flicks a little more, but I think we are definitely on track. And you like the choreography right? The routine and music is cute?”

And what’s with all these mentions of cute? Yes, the song is cute. But most women don’t usually long to be called cute or associated with cute by their dance partners. Not if you are above the age of eighteen and about to join a dance competition where you are supposed to do sexy latin dances! 

When your partner is the show’s ever popular and ever attractive Scott Moir, the last thing you want is to come across like a prepubescent teenage girl! To be fair, Scott recently had a few teenage/ youngish partners. Like that actress Gabby Daleman last season. Maybe, he’s gotten used to creating ‘cute’ routines for his younger partners.

She recalls he once called her sweet years ago. In the early days of her mother’s season, when she was free enough to drop by rehearsals frequently, bringing along with her donuts and coffee. Tessa wonders if he still thinks of her as sweet now. Which is why he had choreographed such a cute routine for them both for the first week. 

Honestly, there’s nothing wrong with being cute and Tessa never used to mind that connotation before. But somehow, she doesn’t  _ want _ Scott to think she’s cute. She doesn't mind him viewing her in this sweaty mess, but  _ cute _ gets her hackles up. She’s  _ dying _ here!

Tessa glares up at him. It’s a good glare. One she has learned from Jordan’s wise tutelage and has used to chase boys with grabby hands away in clubs in the past, especially in college. But Scott has the cheek to laugh back at her. 

“Come on, let’s just break for an early lunch, and afterwards we’ll work a bit on our ballroom hold before switching back to Jive alright?” He pulls her up to her feet, clearly overestimating the strength of her wobbly legs, and she flops into his arms instead. Refusing to put in any effort to hold herself up. Still chuckling, Scott hauls her onto his back in some kind of piggyback position, and carries her into the area the pros and crew have designated as their lunch spot.

A few of the other couples are already there and Tessa can see several grins as Scott dumps her onto one of the chairs.

“So how’s the dance coming along? Madison asks with a look of sympathy. “You have the jive right?”

Her celeb partner, Jeff leans forward. “Is it as bad as they say it is? I supposedly lucked out by getting the Cha Cha, but it’s been hell! My hips are apparently non-existent!” Madison hides a chuckle behind a palm, and Tessa wonders what it must be like to be a pro and having to deal with all these absolutely incompetant celebrities with little to no dance training. It must be like an F1 driver trying to teach someone to drive! She suddenly feels bad for the pros having to deal with all them hopeless celebs...

“It’s just like cardio, which I’ve always hated. The most intense cardio workout ever! At least the song is cute!” She pulls a face as she glances over to Scott, but he’s busy grabbing their food and chatting with Patrick near the counter.

Kaetlyn pulls her chair closer to the group. “I’ve got a Foxtrot and I don’t understand this whole ‘following’ concept. I admit I’m so much more used to dancing alone in a group than being attached to someone else.”

“Well, I’m supposed to lead?” Andrew chimes in, shrugging. “And the whole ballroom hold thing is killing me. Tati keeps trying to fix it, and even though she says encouraging stuff, I know that’s not what she actually thinks.”

The four celebs look over to the three pro dancers who somehow ended up congregated at a corner. Only Madison is still seated at the table with them, plowing through her lunch with Jeff.

“Do you think they are talking about us?” Kaetlyn asks tentatively. Tati, Patrick and Scott are still huddled together, chatting away.

“Possibly.” Madison replies with a quirk to her lips. “Just like you all are talking about them now. But given there is Scott and Patrick over there, I’m assuming they’re talking about yesterday’s hockey game.” She rolls her eyes fondly. “Those boys do love their sports, especially Scott. My boyfriend is crazy about the NHL and NFL as well, so I’ve learned to tune it all out.”

“Well Tati seems to have no interest in sports at all. And I do think it’s more likely she might be deploring my ballroom hold. She’s been making me wear this contraption and nitpicking on my posture all morning,” Andrew complains.

Jeff laughs. “Madison made me wear the same thing all last week. I want to say it gets better, but thus far it still sucks.” 

Madison grins. “You will thank us when the judges praise your frame one day.”

Both Andrew and Jeff grimace, making Tessa, Kaetlyn and Madison chuckle. 

“What’s so funny?” Patrick comments as the other pros walk back to the table, their hands laden with lunch for the rest of the table. Scott passes Tessa her meal and she gladly starts devouring it. Dancing definitely works up one’s appetite.

“The boys here hate the contraption for ballroom posture,” Madison replies cheerily as the rest of the pros grin.

“It’ll get easier,” Scott reassures them. “The frame is something Brian (Orser) will focus on when judging. So everyone will need to work on it.”

“What does Marie-France and Kurt care about then?” Kaetlyn asks.

“Oh they all care about the frame, but Brian is probably the most technically minded, while Marie-France definitely focuses more on expression and creativity. Kurt can go either way.” Patrick replies with a shrug.

The rest of the meal passes by pleasantly as the group chat about their rehearsals and their worries about the live shows coming up on Monday. When it ends, everyone stands up slowly, reluctant to return to their respective rehearsals. Jeff, who had started to eat with Madison much earlier than the rest, had previously tried to dither. Claiming they should wait till everyone was done, but Madison eventually managed to drag him back protesting to their studio.

Tessa finds herself unable to contain a groan as she stands up.

“What’s up?” Scott asks, as he helps her clear the trash from lunch.

“My legs still feel all wobbly and achy from this morning,” she whines. “Jive is evil.”

“Good thing we are going to practice our frame then, while we wait for our lunch to digest.” Scott grins. “Come on.”

Tessa just pouts. Because after maybe an hour of that, they’ll be back to evil jive.

“Alright, hop on.” Scott shakes his head in amusement as he offers her his back. 

With a giggle of delight, Tessa jumps on. It’s great going through this show with Scott, even while he sometimes turns into a drill sergeant with the dancing.

======

Scott is certain he lucked out getting Tessa this season. She is probably the most hard-working and dedicated partner he’s ever had on the show. Which is saying a lot since he’s had some fantastic partners on the show, including her mother. As he makes Tessa go through the routine again on her own in the corner of the backstage area, he also finds himself marveling again at what a wonderful natural dancer she is. 

Jive can be a difficult dance, and is sometimes saved for later in the season, especially for those with stamina problems. But Tessa is definitely keeping up with the best of his previous partners. Scott has used the three weeks grace period before the first live show as effectively as he could, introducing Tessa to different types of movement and fundamental basics to prepare her for the broad spectrum of styles she will have to eventually dance on the show.

And no matter what dance style they try out, whether latin or ballroom, there’s just  _ something _ about the way Tessa moves that is absolutely  _ captivating!  _

It’s extremely early days for Tessa as she’s still building up her technique, and there’s definitely a lot they have to work on for her to become a serious threat in the competition. But Scott  _ enjoys _ watching Tessa learn to dance. He  _ wants _ to watch her dance. And sometimes he finds himself drifting away from objective analysis to subjective appreciation. Because there are glimpses of such raw natural talent in Tessa that makes Scott speculate how good she might be if she had started dancing young and stuck with it.

Whenever he stops drilling her on steps and technique, and just sits back to watch her move, he can appreciate how flexible and elegant her back is, how gorgeous the lines in her neck, arms and legs can be. It’s all very exciting and inspiring to be partnered with someone who can potentially dance so beautifully. 

Then of course, Tessa will make an awkward line or produce terribly sickled feet, and helpfully jolt Scott out of his little appreciative daze. 

While it’s only been a few weeks since Tessa has returned into his life, Scott has swiftly become aware that this is not a typical DWTS season for him. He knows he is not at all his usual objective self when it comes to his celebrity. 

At first, he thought it was because he knew Tessa from before. They were friends, albeit ones that haven’t met for a long time, and there was a history and familiarity they shared with her mother being his first partner ever on the show. 

He still remembers how unique his relationship with Kate and her family had been compared to all his subsequent partners. While Scott had been the teacher and the expert instructor in the rehearsal studio and during the competition, Kate could not stop acting like a surrogate mother to him outside it (it wasn’t surprising since she was an almost empty nester - only Tessa was still living at home).

Kate had quickly learned that young Scott had only three days’ notice to move to LA from the UK, and that he was still living out of one large hurriedly packed suitcase in his new (and practically bare) rental apartment. Despite his hearty protests, every few days Kate managed to bring with her to rehearsal, various items such as pillows and kitchenware that she ‘didn’t need anymore’. She had even turned up once with Tessa in tow at his apartment (he doesn’t want to know how she found his address) to try and spruce up his living space a bit. There was a lot of tutting going on when they discovered the meagre furnishings, and how his fridge only contained cereal, milk, leftover Chinese takeaway containers and microwave dinners. Subsequently, Kate started to bring some of her leftovers for him (and they were almost as good as his mom’s homemade cooking).

Though Danny was around and had helped sourced for Scott’s apartment, his brother was busy with his own contestant (a very emotionally volatile but popular actress who had lasted way longer than Danny had privately hoped) and trying to salvage a rather rocky relationship with his then-girlfriend. And so, the Virtues had become his welcome committee and secondary support system during his first few months in the city. 

Casey had shared with Scott his favourite street food in the city while Kevin had invited him to join his group of friends for a Lakers game. Jordan had been the one to hint he should grow his hair out more so that he would stop looking like a sixteen year old boy, and Tessa had introduced him to his still-now favourite coffee chain.

However despite all his overall fond feelings for the Virtue family, Scott knows he’s always liked Tessa more than her other siblings. Even when he was a cocky twenty-year old strutting about with the high of being cast on one of the most watched shows in the country, he had noticed how pretty and sweet she was. 

And because she was the only one actively living with Kate at the time (Kevin and Jordan were technically living outside the city), she visited rehearsals fairly often and attended every live show. In fact, she and Scott had a lot of lovely chats as Kate sometimes had to attend to her business in the middle of rehearsals (Scott is certain she used that excuse to preempt him when she requests more breaks than he would prefer. But he isn’t a tyrant (yet) and he knows Kate does need them).

On the surface, they didn’t have much in common. Scott was extroverted, hyperactive and made his living dancing and moving about. Winning audiences over with his boyish charm and personality. Tessa on the other hand, was the introverted intellectual whose then-ambition was to finish college and then write. Quietly. Maybe in a little cottage by the coast somewhere.

Yet somehow, they found they could speak about many things with one another. Maybe it was the closeness of their ages coupled with how they were both embarking on new paths in their lives. He at DWTS, while she was about to leave home and move across the country for school. 

The wonderful manner in which Tessa was willing to listen to his grousing, also meant that Scott had confided in Tessa much more than he ever expected to. About his worries about having to prove himself on the show (Leanne being cut was still omnipresent in his mind). Especially since he was the youngest male pro there by a mile. Surrounded by dancers he long admired like Patch and Evgeni Plushenko, as well as just older dancers who’ve been in the game much longer than him such as Dylan Moscovitch and David Pelletier. And of course, there was his big brother Danny, still bossing him about.

_ [Note: Even a decade on, with many changes in the pro cast, the general age of the male dancers haven't changed that much. Only Patrick was younger than him currently.] _

Now, here they were together again, reunited by DWTS. At very different stages of their lives. Yet still able to talk about anything and everything. 

Including how Tessa feels like puking apparently. Ten minutes before they go live on the first show.

“Do you really need to? Or is it just nerves?” He asks her quietly. She had beckoned him over to her in the corner and is now hunched over, breathing loudly. Almost dry heaving.

“I don’t know.” Her voice is muffled by a palm, as the other clutches his arm for support. She was fine just a few minutes ago, but clearly the countdown announcement from the backstage assistant had sent her nerves into overdrive. “But remembering that this is going to be live and aired across the world is not helping.”

Scott pulls her into his arms slowly. Rubbing her back soothingly, he feels the tension leave her body as she sinks into the crook of his neck and the warmth of his hug. He finds himself relaxing as well in their embrace. The scent of strawberries from her hair feels comforting and at the back of his mind, there is the fleeting thought that he would happily stay in this hug forever.

“I’ll be next to you the entire time.” He murmurs into her ear as he rubs the pressure point between her thumb and forefinger reassuringly. “We’ll just walk out together to the dance floor when Elvis announces us. Then I have to dance a bit for the opening number, and then you get to show off your best shimmy at the end… And then we get to enjoy a break where we can watch the others’ dance before it’s our turn. Plenty of time for you to get a chance to settle down. In fact, I’m surprised you aren’t sick of me yet! Three weeks together now, and it’s only the first live show.. you’ve had me glued next to you for like 90% of the time!”

Scott can feel Tessa relax even further as she chuckles. He reminds himself that they should do this hug thing before every show and perhaps during any stressful rehearsals that is bound to come up. It seems as if their breathing has synced up and so have their heartbeats, and he’s just glad hers isn’t thudding away like a mariachi band any longer.

He never really believed in the healing powers of a hug. Except when he was a kid and it came from his mother. But hugging Tessa is definitely great.

With another deep breath of that strawberry shampoo, he slowly tears himself away from Tessa. Grabbing her hand tightly, he leads her to their place in the queue. Scott’s glad to see the colour return to her face and they exchange grins as the familiar DWTS theme music blares up. 

He does a ridiculous shimmy to make Tessa burst into laughter. It leaves Scott feeling extremely proud of himself.

And with big smiles on their faces, they walk out onto the dance floor to cheers as the host Elvis Stojko announces their names to the audiences in the studio and at home.

=====

Tessa can’t believe she was terrified just an hour ago when the show started and all she had to do was a little shake and shimmy at the end of the huge opening number. In the bigger scheme of things, it’s the pros who have to do the most work for that routine and she did notice Scott dancing marvelously with Piper whom he had paired up for that sexy Cha Cha (to Let Me Entertain You).

Now in the middle of her Tutti Frutti Jive, dressed in her cute little black and white polka dot outfit with the blue tulle underneath, Tessa feels no trace of nerves! 

Instead there’s complete exhilaration as she dances her heart out. She glances over to Scott who’s singing along with the song and she can’t help beaming. 

For the first time ever, she’s actually enjoying herself performing and she knows it’s all because of Scott. And how wonderfully he’s prepared her for this dance.

Scott had asked her not to watch the intro package before they danced, claiming it would distract her. But Tessa already suspects she knows what the producers would focus on. The fact that Scott has danced with Kate previously, as well as Tessa’s crazy nerves about performing in front of millions. 

Well, aren’t they all for a shock at how not nervous she is right now!

As the jive passes by in a whirl, Tessa honestly can’t remember how well she’s doing with her fast and complicated steps. But the music and dance seems to ends on time with Scott bent over backwards on the floor with his right hand supporting his weight. And with a gasp and start, she realises she did it! 

The loud applause and cheers from the audience starts to steep into her consciousness. It’s so deafening, or maybe it’s her heart pounding so loudly in her chest that she almost misses Scott whisper how proud he is of her as he sweeps her up for another tight hug (Scott really does give excellent hugs).

Tessa honestly wishes she could stay in that moment forever, but then they are quickly shuffled into position by Elvis to face the dreaded judges.

“Wow, where were all those nerves you were so worried about?” Elvis asks.

“I have no idea,” Tessa shrugs with a cheesy grin she’s sure can be seen from the moon. “But I can assure you I was about to puke just before I went on!”

Scott laughs and confirms this fact for the audience, adding the point about being worried about whether he could carry her to the washroom and back again in time.

Finally, the judges stop scribbling and Scott’s fingers squeeze reassuringly around her waist as they say their pieces and thankfully end up being more complementary than Tessa expected. The three judges had been rather harsh to some of the previous contestants and routines. With Robin Cousins receiving all 5s after a few missteps with his Cha Cha and Tracy Wilson getting a 4 for her Waltz!! 

Happily for Tessa and Scott, the judges don’t find much fault with the jive. Instead Marie-France finds the routine adorable, their outfits adorable, and them as a couple extremely adorable… and basically she wants to adopt them. Kurt thinks they have excellent showmanship and are definitely one of the couples to watch. While Brian wants her to point her toes more when she does her kicks and flicks. Nonetheless, he mentions that he believes that she has loads of potential, and Tessa is still ecstatic and gratified to learn she received 7s across the board. Which Scott assures her is a good solid score for the first week.

“We do need to talk about that energy though,” Scott says seriously. After all the congratulations are done from fellow contestants and the show cuts to a commercial break. “Where did all that come from?” He asks in wonder. “And can you do it again?”

“I really don’t know!” Tessa is giggling, still high from the dance. “One moment I’m squeezing your fingers for dear life, and the next I’m having so much fun!”

“You must be one of those people who naturally turn it up to eleven when you are actually performing!” Scott replies, his hands rubbing together gleefully. “This is excellent! Tessa Virtue, you surprise me everyday so I don’t know why I should be surprised by this,” he declares emphatically, flinging his arm around her shoulders.

The weight of his arm is comforting and Tessa likes the idea that she can still surprise Scott. She had genuinely thought she would be an average contestant on the show, and would drag down Scott’s average/record. But her first week scores indicate she might be one of the stronger contestants in the cast. [Note: She ends the night tied for third place with Nathan Chen, behind Javier Fernandez and Michelle Kwan.]

“Gosh, that was incredible!” Kate exclaims as Tessa’s family rushes to congratulate her after the show is over. “I always knew there was a natural performer lurking about somewhere. And I’m glad to finally see her emerge.”

“But what’s with the cute routine, Scott?” Jordan demands, hands on her hips. “I mean that’s probably why she didn’t place higher as compared to some of the other routines who did not deserve their marks. This is Dancing with the Stars after all, and my sister has an excellent midriff from hours of barre which she should be showing off. You too should be like shirtless!” She pulls at the collar of Scott’s blue shirt in a fairly aggressive manner, and Tessa is torn between saving poor Scott or being amused at how he deals with the forceful nature of her sister.

“Huh… is this what older sisters are supposed to be like? Older female cousins somehow don’t seem to terrorize me as much.” A wide-eyed Scott questions as the rest of the Virtues chuckle. “And you all should know by now that I choreograph to the music! It would be disingenuous to choreograph something sexy to Tutti Fruiti!”

Jordan raises one skeptical eyebrow. “Stephane and Kaitlyn sure wore skimpier outfits for their jive! And I’ve watched this show,  _ cute _ doesn’t get you very far! Sexy at least wins you a few more votes. And votes count!”

“Yeah and their song is from Hairspray where sexiness isn’t really the vibe of that show... Since they didn’t score as high as us, I don’t think your argument has a leg to stand on! Maybe if we’d gotten assigned Proud Mary or something, Tessa could have worn a short sexy fringe dress.” Scott shakes his head in bemusement. “But we didn’t. And I think cute is a perfectly good strategy for the first week. We don’t want to throw all our good cards away the first week.”

“So you’re saying you have a strategy?” Jordan has a fist on a hip.

“Of course.” Scott narrows his gaze back at Jordan. “I have done this show a few times… and I don’t remember you being this bossy when it was Kate’s season!”

Kevin laughs. “Jordan can’t help herself!”

Casey adds, “And while we were supportive, we had very little expectations for Mom on the show. Like very,  _ very  _ little. I think we are still stunned you got her to fourth place!”

Now all four Virtue siblings laugh as their mother makes her token protests.

“That’s why we are assuming you’ll be able to take Birdie here further! If you were able to bring Mom to the semis, the finals or the Mirrorball itself isn’t too unreasonable for this season?!” Casey teases.

“We’ve all actually put money down on it so please don’t let us down! Also we know you both can’t, so we decided to spot you both so you won’t feel left out.” Kevin chimes in with a grin. “The whole family is supporting you till the very end!”

“You didn’t!” Tessa exclaimed, punching Kevin in the arm, who only laughs more uproariously.

“Now children!” Kate intervenes with a sigh. “Let’s collect our things and grab a late dinner alright? Scott, would you like to join us?”

“It’s alright, I don’t want to intrude.”

Kate’s “Don’t be silly!” coincides with Tessa’s “Oh please don’t think that!” 

“You sure, T? It’s only the first show. We have months to go if it all turns out as planned!”

“And you have planned this properly, right?” Jordan jumps in again.

“Sheesh, yes Jordan! Would you like me to detail Tessa and my general dancing strategy for the rest of the season?”

Jordan’s acquiescence is overtaken by Casey’s addition of “Let us know what else you need to garner votes. Megan was really into T-Shirt and button making for the PTA the last few years. I’m sure she can come up with some catchy names for you guys! Poppy would probably love to help as well!”

Ignoring the annoying attempts by her siblings to be helpful and supportive, Tessa grabs Scott’s arm. “I know it might be painful, but please do join us for dinner!”

Scott can only smile and nod at his partner. Like he can ever say no to that sweet smile and after such a marvelous performance. Though it wouldn’t be good for her to know that. He knows she would totally take advantage of it in rehearsals.

“That’s good!” Kate’s firm voice comes ringing in between them. “You really ought to eat more Scott! I think you’re looking a bit skinny! Have you been eating well or neglecting yourself again?”

  
  


*****

For info and anyone trying to keep the couples straight, here are the pairings:

DWTS Contestant 

| 

DWTS Pro  
  
---|---  
  
Kaitlyn Weaver (Reality Star - Bachelorette) 

| 

Stephane Lambiel  
  
Kaetlyn Osmond (Ex-Girl Group Member) 

| 

Patrick Chan  
  
Michelle Kwan (Actress)

| 

Patrice Lauzon  
  
Shae-Lynn Bourne (Tennis Legend) 

| 

Maxim Trankov  
  
**Tessa Virtue (TV Host)**

| 

**Scott Moir**  
  
Tracy Wilson (Politician) 

| 

Jeremy Abbot  
  
Andrew Poje (Soap Actor) 

| 

Tatiana Volosozhar  
  
Javier Fernandez (Olympic Gymnast) 

| 

Carolina Kostner  
  
Jeff Buttle (Celebrity Chef) 

| 

Madison Chock  
  
Johnny Weir (TV Personality - Fashion) 

| 

Joannie Rochette  
  
Nathan Chen (Disney Star) 

| 

Piper Gilles  
  
Robin Cousins (Singer) 

| 

Sasha Cohen  
  
**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly, I’ve always loved Jive the most of the latin dances… I used to get all awkward and giggly at having to embody the sexiness of those dances (Rumba was the worst). Nonetheless, I thought Jive has to be a hard entry dance into Latin purely based on stamina. I can’t imagine having to practise that over and over again for your first dance on DWTS. 
> 
> I know it’s usually Cha Cha or Foxtrot the first week (though of course DWTS sometimes throws the standard practice away and give contestants all kinds of random dance sequences) but I have pretty much figured out what dances fit into which theme weeks (mostly) for their whole season.


	3. The Difficulty in Learning How to be Sexy with a Rumba

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like there’s too much information and details I want to squeeze into this fic. I promise you I’m trying to contain myself, and so you only get snippets of how all the other contestants are doing on the show.

Tessa may not have seen her video package or her dance on the show yet, but it seems as if the whole world has. And has chosen to inform her of this fact via social media. 

It’s only been a few hours since the first episode went out live, and the reach of the show is staggering! Tessa has been in the public limelight for many years. First, peripherally because of her mother, and later because of her own career. The View specifically, has a lot of fans and their divisive topics sometimes meant a lot of media attention. 

But the reaction from her first performance on DWTS is so overwhelming and heartening! Especially considering how the audience for the family show is so much more diverse and multi-generational as compared to her talk show. There are both grandparents and very young kids commenting on her feed right now about how much they enjoyed her dance and her pairing with Scott.

Besides the usual show of support for her performance and dancing ability though, Tessa is surprised to learn how many viewers or fans find her and Scott  _ cute _ together. 

Apparently, the clip of them being (re)introduced was being viewed quite often. And their general interactions on the live show has been deemed as extremely  _ adorable. _ She has to chuckle as she learns that fans have already given her and Scott a name. Virtuemoir. Which sounds pretty good. As compared to Scossa which was floating around a bit but thankfully didn’t gain much traction. 

To ensure Virtuemoir sticks (and not Scossa or some other terrible variation of their two names), Tessa starts using it as a hashtag. Especially when she posted a few pictures of dinner earlier this evening to show how she celebrated with her family and Scott. And to thank fans for their very lovely reception to her first performance on DWTS. It was crazy to see how quickly people reacted to the photo of Scott and her seated next to one another at the table. Apparently Scott has an account but he’s not very active on it, and so this sneak peek into his life and their partnership immediately results in many fans exclaiming in excitement

Tessa has to laugh. She makes a mental note to tell Scott their new couple name though. There’s every chance the dork might think Scossa a good joke and run along with it on live television or something.

As she delves deeper into social media, she’s surprised though to learn that some fans actually think there’s more than just good friendship and chemistry between Tessa and Scott. Apparently based on the way they interact and look at each other all through the live show, these fans actually think that Tessa and Scott are  _ crushing _ on one another! 

Again, Tessa has to giggle.  _ Clearly _ they have no idea what her real relationship with Scott is like at all. 

The next morning, she walks into the rehearsal studio to learn that there is a theme for the next week of the show. 

“Suzie just briefed me and we have The Decade You Were Born In.” Scott announces as Tessa enters the room.

“Oh ok, what does that mean?” Tessa queries brightly. 

“Nothing really. It’s just a random theme with no connection to the contestant at all that the producers sometimes throw into the show,” he grumbles. “I don’t even know how they assign the songs and styles for this week. You can ask Suzie. She’ll have no idea as well.”

“Alright then… what do we have?” Tessa grins. She’s quickly learned from Scott that sometimes the producers do weird things and everyone just has to go along with it.

“Well, Jordan was complaining we weren’t sexy enough last week.  _ This week…  _ we have the Rumba to How Will I Know since it’s one of about a million songs released in the eighties when you were born. See what I mean?” He quirks an expressive eyebrow at her.

Tessa chuckles again. It’s true. She’s not indicated to the producers that she was a particular fan of Whitney Houston. “But I do like that song though, so I’m kind of happy with it.”

“Well, I hope you don’t mind that I’ve found a more stripped down version from Sam Smith that would have a better tempo for us. Also I want to check how comfortable you’d be with this being a sexy dance?” Scott studies her with a curious stare. “I know I said we could build up to the more sexier stuff since we had the Jive as our first dance. But since we got assigned a Rumba earlier than expected-” 

“I’m fine!” Tessa exclaims firmly. “Don’t worry about it!”

And she means it. She came into this show knowing full well that sexy dances were part of the journey. Furthermore, she was just complaining to herself that their Jive was a little cutesy. 

So Tessa was definitely looking forward to tackling a more sexy dance like the Rumba with Scott. 

====

Ok, she lied again to herself. 

She was not at all ready for the Rumba. 

It’s not the technique per se bothering her, which Scott keeps reassuring her is coming along quite nicely. 

_ [Note: He has claimed that her Rumba Walk is developing well, and that she has some good hip and body action. Which is a relief after Jeff’s Cha Cha hip action was criticised by the judges that first show, and it was also pointed out that Robin’s hips were non-existent throughout his dance.] _

No, what is making Tessa nervous as hell, is the movements of the dance themselves in proximity to Scott. 

These past few weeks, Tessa has always found Scott’s dance hold very secure and firm. Which makes trusting and following him very easy on the dance floor. 

But there is one move, in particular. One very  _ simple _ choreographic move for storytelling that happens fairly early in the dance (where Tessa has to graze her palm over Scott’s inner right thigh)… that completely freaks her out. 

And she knows why Scott put it in the dance. It looks good, it helps the story of the dance, and it’s sexy and arousing for the audiences. 

The problem is... even though it’s just for a second or two... Tessa’s finding it very sexy and arousing too!

In fact, this whole dance is more sexy and arousing than Tessa had ever imagined possible!

Jive was such a different ballgame. So fun and energetic! Easily making Tessa feel like a little kid playing in a candy shop with Scott. In fact, the dance was always so frantic that it was all Tessa could do to remember her steps and keep up with the beat of the music!

Rumba on the other hand, is so,  _ so _ slow. Which apparently makes it easier for the judges to spot your every mistake (something else Tessa has to worry about). 

It was also really sensual and sexy... 

With the Rumba, Tessa now has plenty of time to think about Scott’s breath against the back of her neck. The way his fingers trail down her arm. The seductive, and she does mean  _ seductive, _ way in which their bodies writhe in unison (their hips doing this  _ very _ suggestive figure eight movement together, supposedly a cucaracha) as he gazes longingly in her eyes for the routine. 

It makes Tessa flush like a ten year old school girl with a crush for the very first time in her life! There are some moments in practice when she can barely maintain eye contact with Scott!

Look, she’s always been aware that Scott was attractive. She wasn’t blind!

Plus she was eighteen when she first met him and he had been  _ very _ cute back then. Had a bit of a frat boy thing going on with the spiky hair and the boyish grin. This was on top of the extroverted boy next door vibe he was giving off (which immediately proceeded to make him very popular on the show), and how he also seemed really mature and self-assured as she watched him patiently coached her mother through the competition.

Although his mind was almost completely preoccupied with thoughts related to choreography, technique and her mother’s performances, Scott had also been rather sweet. For example, he had listened intently to her grouses when she had broken up with her long distance college boyfriend (Ryan had been in college in Wisconsin and was pressuring her to join him in there instead of the East Coast which she had always dreamed of). Scott also hadn’t belittled her (like Ryan had) when she had shared her ambition of being an author.

So it wasn’t a surprise that teenage Tessa had developed a tiny, little harmless crush on Scott back in the day. 

It was however a surprise to learn how attractive she still found him  _ now. _

It wasn’t as if she had never seen him during the intervening years. He had been on television and she had bumped into him several times, such as during her visits back to LA. Honestly, she hadn’t even remembered the crush when she had signed up for the show!

But it came back in fits and starts over the past few weeks. A growing realisation that Scott really was devastatingly good-looking and charming. And that she was  _ really _ enjoying his company in general...

Then this week, out of the blue, she was hit over the head by how sexy he was. 

It was all the Rumba’s fault! There were just so many sensual and intimate moves in the dance that has been making Tessa all jumpy. 

“You ok there T? You’ve been rather tense these last few days.” Scott asks as he pulls her aside for a break and a chat. 

Tessa is aware that the camera in the room is catching every word they say, and so replies, “It’s just the sexiness of these moves. I know I said I’m fine with it, but clearly I’m a bit nervous…” she trails off. Shrugging and hiding her eyes under the loose fringe which is escaping her ponytail. “You know I’m totally out of my zone here, I’m not the sexy type at all!”

“Nonsense!” Scott scoffs. “You can be plenty sexy when you are just yourself, being confident and sure of who you are. Look at your favourite actress... Audrey Hepburn, right? No one can say she was overtly sexy like Marilyn Monroe was, and her movie roles were not the bombshell types. But she was still sexy in her roles though. I totally remember from some of the movies you made me watch?”

“Do you mean Funny Face and Breakfast at Tiffany’s? Or maybe Sabrina? Because I don’t think she was going for sexy in Roman Holiday...” Tessa answers with a big grin. It was a long time ago when she had learned he never watched Audrey on film before. But she definitely remembered how she had insisted on switching on a marathon of Audrey’s movies and forcing Scott to sit beside her to watch during one of her mother’s parties.

“Honestly, I don’t remember which, but they all sound familiar so maybe all of the above? But anyway, you’re like Audrey right? You think you are awkward and gangly whatever… but actually you being you is beautiful! And sexy!”

Scott grins at her. His face all earnest and boyish with wide hopeful eyes. 

It’s so sweet. And exactly what the best and most encouraging life coach in the world might say. Kaetlyn wasn’t joking when she mentioned how she felt all the pros ended up being therapists and life coaches for their celebrity partners. 

“Thanks for the compliment. But I am no Audrey Hepburn…” She laughs and waves aside Scott’s noises of protests. She can’t believe he is trying to draw a link between her and Audrey to give her confidence. But she appreciates the effort. “I will work on it though. No worries!”

“Ok then… In the meantime, let’s break down all the moves that discomfort you and figure it out. First off, the thigh thing. That bothers you right?”

Tessa has no choice but to nod. It’s pretty obvious that she instinctively reacts as if he has cooties every time she has to do the move. 

“I could take it out but it’s a simple move so let’s try this first. Just imagine David Beckham or Keanu Reeves or whatever actor or person you currently have a crush on. And whenever you feel weirded out in the dance, just pretend I’m that guy you have a crush on instead, alright?” 

Scott smiles softly in an attempt to be reassuring. Not realising that  _ he _ is the guy she currently has a so-called-minor-whatever-sort-of crush on! Which is precisely why Tessa’s so nervous in the first place!

“Just let it go, T! We aren’t fully ourselves in these dances... We are like characters playing a part in a scene. And in this dance, we both have full permission to do whatever we need to or want to do, to convince the judges you really have this one-sided unrequited thing going on and are worried because you don’t know how this guy feels…”

With a flash, Tessa suddenly realises she can maybe channel all those unwelcome crush-like feelings for Scott into the dance routine instead. That seems to be a useful mindset to proceed with the rest of the week. It’s performer Tessa who thinks Scott is attractive, and has all these confused feelings about him.  _ Not _ normal, everyday Tessa.

Normal Tessa has more important things to worry about. Like remembering her steps and technique. And figuring out this Cuban motion thing. Instead of staring at Scott’s butt.

Normal Tessa needs to learn how to actually dance so that she’ll hopefully have a chance to win Dancing with the Stars in another nine weeks.

=====

“How’s it going with Kaetlyn?” Scott asks as he takes another sip of beer. The last time he managed to speak with Patrick two days ago, his friend had been struggling with coming up with his choreography.

He, Maxim and Patrick are at their favourite pub down the street from the rehearsal studio. Years ago, long before any of them had joined the show, a weekly Thursday drink had somehow became tradition for most of the pros. _ [Note: Patch is pretty much the only pro left on the show who was present at the very start of these weekly pub sessions.] _

The basic premise is that since Thursday is the third day and mid-way point of their celeb partners learning new choreography, it is also usually the time of the week in which the pros are secretly pulling their hair out in exasperation. And desperately in need of a good drink and relaxing chat.

Through the years, Thursday has slowly morphed into more of a boys’ night out. Several of the female pros used to drop by more frequently. But Tati now likes to rush back home to check on the baby, leaving Maxim to have his time with ‘the boys’, while others like Joannie, Carolina and Madison are currently in serious relationships and prefer to spend what limited time they have during the hectic season on date nights, etc instead. 

So that leaves just the three of them this evening. Stephane is still stuck in the studio, apparently drilling Kaitlyn on a quickstep which she is struggling with. He claims he’ll drop by later if he can, but that he doesn’t want to release her until she can do a particular chassé step clean. Patch is another regular who is unfortunately out of the state, because his celeb Michelle has to travel for work and so he has to accompany her to squeeze in enough training sessions. 

“I’ve got the choreo mostly figured out, but she’s still trying to get into the character of the Tango. It’s not really her style at all, but we are working on it.” Patrick replies, looking at his two friends. “How about you guys? Shae-Lynn and Tessa?”

Maxim sighs. “Shae-Lynn is one of the most hardest working partners I’ve ever had. She’s really one of those champion athletes who’s happy to train all the time… However she’s definitely very stiff. It sort of works in ballroom which is why we did decently last week with the waltz. But a Samba? This early?” He shakes his head slowly in despair and takes a long drag from his beer bottle.

Scott claps him on the shoulder in commiseration. “Well, sometimes it’s good to get samba out of the way early. I always dread getting it too close to the finals… it can really hurt your scores when there are so few contestants left.”

“Not if she can’t pull off enough of the basics to please the judges.” Maxim says moodily. 

“I doubt she’s on the chopping board yet.” Patrick wrinkles his nose. “Based on their scores last week, the odds are Robin and Tracy will leave earlier.”

Scott nods. “Sasha’s a little depressed. She thinks she and Robin are going to be out first. On the other hand, Jeremy is totally optimistic about him and Tracy. Even after their unmistakable trip in the middle of their dance. He thinks it’ll win them sympathy votes.”

“He’s probably right.” Maxim says mournfully. “And that’s when someone like Shae-Lynn could go instead.”

Scott and Patrick exchange perturbed looks. Usually Maxim isn’t such a downer. Especially so early in the season. It is after all, only week two. Typically, people don’t start getting burned out until around the halfway mark of the season. With their backgrounds, the pros can't help being a little competitive and wanting to do well on the show. But Maxim has never been the type to get overly upset about his placing in the past. 

“Are you ok, Max?” Scott queries carefully. “Shae-Lynn really isn’t so bad. She’s got great stamina, quite nice lines and she’s probably really popular. I mean, we all grew up with her… She’s one of the bigger, more recognisable names this season.”

“Yeah… don’t worry about it. I’m just in a bit of a mood” Maxim shakes his head as he finishes his drink and calls for another one. “Scott, you haven’t mentioned how Tessa is doing? I thought she did pretty well last week.”

The expression on the older man’s face convinces Scott not to push the subject. And so he takes a few seconds to think about his answer. 

This week has definitely had its challenges. It started rough with Tessa turning into a squeaky mouse every time he tries to teach her a new step. He always knew she was quiet and reserved, but he never expected her to be  _ this _ shy. After all, for the past few weeks she seemed to be having fun, and appeared absolutely  _ fearless _ with the Jive just a few days ago.

When they started rehearsals for the new dance on Tuesday, they were riding high on their first performance and their relatively good scores. And then after teaching her the first eight counts of the dance, Tessa suddenly blushed a bright red and didn’t stop for practically the next two days of practice!

Scott knows it can be hard for the celebrities to throw themselves fully into all the dances. Rumba is an intimate and sensual dance, and Tessa’s far from his first celeb partner to be skittish and timid with the latin dances. He remembers how Yuna had struggled in rehearsal because culturally Koreans are a lot more conservative, and she was worried about how her fanbase back home would react to such intimate moves with him. Thankfully she got more comfortable, they found a good balance and there was only a small group of her so-called fans that was in uproar about her DWTS stint. 

Scott’s also had a few partners who were worried about jealous boyfriends or husbands, and so it also took awhile for them to get relaxed performing such sexy moves with another man.

He wonders if this might be the case with Tessa. As far as he knows (and they have been working together everyday for a few weeks now), she’s single. And it’s not as if she’s  _ super _ conservative. But maybe she has a secret boyfriend, and that’s why she’s been so embarrassed to dance the Rumba with him.

He doesn’t know why that thought suddenly makes him feel ill. 

Setting aside his beer, he says, “Tessa’s having some problems with the Rumba too. She’s been quite shy but thankfully this afternoon, she’s come out of her shell more and started to not be so self-conscious. I hope she can keep it up.”

“I wouldn’t worry too much.” Patrick chips in. “Tessa came out of nowhere last week. I know you were telling me she’s got good potential, but I still didn’t expect that Jive! Also my mother just informed me that you two are already her favourite couple this season, so you definitely are getting fans.”

Scott is unable to stop the Cheshire grin appearing on his face. Mrs Chan is a strict dance mom who he has known since he was a young competitor himself. She’s never been overly fond of Scott, thinking him a little too wild and rowdy for Patrick (who was very much the definition of a clean-cut Asian boy growing up). For her to declare he and Tessa are amongst her favourites, is a triumph in Scott’s mind. 

“Yeah, I think you guys have a good shot getting really far in the competition if she’s strong with ballroom dances too.” Maxim adds. “You might even win again. And six Mirrorball trophies will probably be the tipping point for me. I have to hate you after that.”

For a second, Maxim tries to maintain a deadpan expression. But he can’t help it and starts to chortle. Patrick and Scott quickly follow him. 

=====

Kate Virtue looks around the ballroom, and marvels at how much and little has changed from ten years ago. It’s the exact same studio space, but the staging and the show itself has definitely become bigger than she remembers. 

She was here last week of course to support Tessa and Scott. But she was preoccupied with praying that they would dance well. Knowing her youngest as she did, she knew there was a slight possibility that Tessa might freeze up with stagefright. She still remembers how Tessa had puked before her fifth grade talent show, and proceeded to avoid performing as much as she could afterwards. 

Tessa’s debut on DWTS went splendidly though, and so this evening, Kate finally has the presence of mind to take in her surroundings with appreciation. There is Elvis with his microphone, a little more grey, but still as charming as ever. The judges’ table is at the exact same spot. The only difference is Marie-France who had been a pro dancer on the show back then. Tatiana Tarosova had been the head judge during Kate’s season, but she decided she wanted to retire a few years back, and so Marie-France (who had stepped back from the show to bring up her daughter), was asked to take over instead. 

Kate recalls this was considered extremely controversial at the time, since Marie-France’s husband Patrice remained (and still remains) a pro dancer on the show. But it soon became clear that Marie-France definitely wasn’t playing favourites. Her scores were consistent with how the other two judges were scoring, and it was hard to accuse her of anything when poor Patrice hasn’t come close to winning a season since his wife joined the judging panel. 

“Did you visit them in the studio last week?” Jordan asks from the seat next to hers.

“Oh no, I’ve made the decision to stay away because I don’t want to disrupt their rehearsals or their training dynamics. I’m determined to not be a stage mom. How about you? I know you’ve dropped by before.”

Jordan shakes her head. “Only once or twice during the preseason training weeks. And that was only because I had plans with Tessa in the area afterwards. I know she’s worried about this week though.”

“Wasn’t she worried last week too?” Kate chuckles. “I always thought she might be a natural dancer and I’m sure she’ll dance wonderfully this week as well. In any case, Scott will be able to manage her nerves. Did she mention what dance she has?”

“The Rumba I think. To Sam Smith’s How Will I Know.”

“Oh that’s nice.” Kate replies just as Elvis finishes warming up the crowd and the live band cues up the music for the opening pro number. 

Kate hasn’t always watched DWTS religiously, but she easily recognises all the pros twirling beautifully around the floor. It’s a little weird to be watching them from out here in the audience, instead of from the contestants’ area up in the balcony. But it does brings her back when she sees Scott out there on the floor, looking dashing in his white tie and tailcoat. 

She suddenly wishes she kept up her ballroom lessons after her season ended. Kate had tried to for about a year or so. But eventually work and life got too hectic and she had let it fall aside. She reminds herself to ask Scott to recommend her a good dance studio in LA. After Tessa’s Jive last week, and now the lovely Waltz by the pro dancers, Kate is inspired to pick up dancing again. 

Elvis is introducing the couples now, and Kate shakes out of her distraction to watch the various pairings trot down the stairs. When Tessa and Scott appear, she can’t help the smile and soft sigh that comes out, Tessa looks beautiful in this soft gauzy purple and black wisp of a dress. It’s almost lingerie-like and Kate thinks it suits Tessa very nicely. Her fashion designer eye appreciates the look. Though she does think Scott’s all-black singlet and pants combo a little plain.

The rest of the show continues with the various couples coming out to do their respective routines. Despite her love for his music, Kate definitely thinks Robin is going to be in trouble when he gets rather low scores from the judges again. She’s also in awe of Michelle Kwan’s grace and elegance in her Viennese Waltz, and the tricks Nathan Chan has in his routines. 

She’s not overly fond of Kaitlyn and Stephane’s routine though. From the edit of the video package last week and even back to the GMA reveal show, it’s clear that the producers are pushing a showmance angle there. After all, they decided to pair up a heartbroken Bachelorette with one of the single male pros (who looks and has a personality very similar to the guy she selected at the end of her show). However, that plan is obviously failing. Because even though the choreography of their Tango was supposed to be hot, the two of them really don’t have much chemistry. 

“Ooh… for two beautiful people who executed the dance ok, that was rather disappointing.” Jordan frowns. 

Kate raises an eyebrow. “I guess this proves chemistry really is a thing.”

Jordan nods agreeingly. Stephane is so good-looking, she used to joke he could have chemistry with a cardboard box. His partnership with Kaitlyn is really proving her wrong now. “I think the producers need to forget about pushing them as a showmance. It’s already annoying. Honestly, how many celeb-pro couples have actually come out of this show?”

“Very, very few according to Scott, especially compared to how many have been speculated over the years. And none that have actually lasted. There's been loads of pro couples though, like Maxim and Tati.” 

“Maybe they should focus on Kaetlyn and Patrick instead. Or Nathan and Piper?” Jordan snorts. “Piper is very pretty. Exactly the type a young guy like Nathan could have a crush on.”

“I’m sure the producers will give up. I could be wrong though. They may decide to double down on Kaitlyn and Stephane.” Kate replies.

“Argh! I always hate these fake showmances. Tessa and I complain about them all the time!”

At this moment, they observe Tessa and Scott walk out to the side of the stage, and Kate and Jordan quieten when they realise the two of them are up next. 

The video package this week for Tessa and Scott seems to focus on Tessa’s discomfort with the sexiness of the rumba, and how Scott was trying to coach her through her shyness. There was even a short section of Scott grabbing her hand, and making Tessa leave her palm on his thigh while they were doing an interview. 

The flushed look on Tessa’s face as Scott chortles boyishly, sends Jordan and half the audience into peals of laughter. Kate has to admit it was rather hilarious. Scott quipped sorrowfully that it’s very depressing to have a pretty woman like Tessa act as if he has some kind of disease. And Tessa falls over herself to claim it’s nothing to do with him and promises to get more comfortable with the sensual moves.

The package doesn’t bode well for Tessa and Scott’s upcoming dance and Kate starts to feel the stirring of nerves. She really,  _ really _ hopes Tessa has gotten over her discomfort…

The music starts, and as Scott slinks his arm around Tessa’s shoulder and they start rumba walking to the middle of the dance floor, Kate is immediately sucked into the story of the dance. There is no sign of Tessa being nervous. In fact, to Kate’s untrained eye, she seems completely in character and displaying great technique!

_ And oh my...  _

Kate remembers the rumba being sensual, but she doesn’t remember her own rumba being like  _ that. _

She can appreciate the beauty of the dance. But the fact that it’s Tessa and Scott, makes Kate suddenly feel awkward! She shifts restlessly in her seat as she starts to wonder…

Scott’s a marvelous dancer of course and Kate is obviously amongst his biggest fans.  _ But… _ does that look in his eye seem darker and more intense than normal? 

As for Tessa, Kate’s never seen that expression on her face before. Like most mothers, Kate is firmly of the belief that her children are smart and talented individuals. But while she’s always suspected Tessa had a talent for dance… Acting, on the other hand was not something she thought… well, Kate didn’t know  _ what _ to think. 

When the dance ends and the audience bursts into applause, Kate finally glances over to Jordan. 

And the two of them exchange raised eyebrows and loaded looks. 

  
  


*****

For info and anyone trying to keep the couples straight, here are the pairings:

**DWTS Contestant**

| 

**DWTS Pro**  
  
---|---  
  
Kaitlyn Weaver (Reality Star - Bachelorette) 

| 

Stephane Lambiel  
  
Kaetlyn Osmond (Ex-Girl Group Member) 

| 

Patrick Chan  
  
Michelle Kwan (Actress)

| 

Patrice Lauzon  
  
Shae-Lynn Bourne (Tennis Legend) 

| 

Maxim Trankov  
  
**Tessa Virtue (TV Host)**

| 

**Scott Moir**  
  
Tracy Wilson (Politician) 

| 

Jeremy Abbot  
  
Andrew Poje (Soap Actor) 

| 

Tatiana Volosozhar  
  
Javier Fernandez (Olympic Gymnast) 

| 

Carolina Kostner  
  
Jeff Buttle (Celebrity Chef) 

| 

Madison Chock  
  
Johnny Weir (TV Personality - Fashion) 

| 

Joannie Rochette  
  
Nathan Chen (Disney Star) 

| 

Piper Gilles  
  
Robin Cousins (Singer) 

| 

Sasha Cohen  
  
**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The inner thigh palm graze thingy that I keep referencing to does happen in the How Will I Know routine. I don’t think it’s ever been a big deal for the actual Tessa and Scott, but I remember thinking that’s a simple but very intimate move for someone you don’t really know so well… and thus made the decision it would be the main move to freak Tessa out. I’m actually having a lot of fun freaking Tessa out in this fic. I have learned the Rumba before (I was much younger though) and I can imagine my alarm if my dance teacher had instructed me to do it.
> 
> Also I’ve started to worry that every chapter might get repetitive with each having to focus on one single week of the DWTS season. So I’ll solemnly try not to do so for the remaining chapters.


	4. Quickstepping into One’s Dreams

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the first routine that doesn’t come from the VM skating catalogue. I wanted to include this song since it is “Guilty Pleasures Week” and I thought Tessa would select it. =)

Tessa has no idea why Jordan keeps making weird faces at her as they wait for their food to arrive. 

Every time Jordan pulls one of those faces, Tessa quickly reviews what she just said, to check if she might have accidentally revealed any secrets she’s not supposed to. Like make a veiled reference to Jordan being married before (it was a Vegas thing and Jordan had gotten it annulled immediately - but Kate has no idea), or how the two sisters have a tradition of going night skinny-dipping every time they go up to the cabin (this was something Tessa assumed Kate suspected but never had confirmation). 

She frowns at Jordan, before turning her attention back to her mother and Scott who are discussing suitable dance studios where Kate can pick up dancing again. 

“I need to powder my nose.” Jordan suddenly announces as she stands up from the table. She then grabs Tessa’s arm. “Your nose is shiny too. Let’s go!” And proceeds to drag Tessa away with her.

“A shiny nose isn’t a big deal, Jordan! I’ve been wearing heavy-industrial show makeup all day!” Tessa protests as her forceful and bossy sister literally pushes her into the ladies and towards the fancy couch there. With narrowed eyes, Jordan proceeds to check every bathroom stall is empty before whirling back towards Tessa.

“Alright, finally! What the hell is going on between you and Scott?! Are you two _sleeping_ _together?!?”_

“What! NO!” Tessa squawks. “Where in the world did you get that idea?!”

“ _ Hello, _ I have eyes… and you two were practically  _ dry-humping _ each other during that rumba!”

“We were not! You’ve seen plenty of rumbas before, and that’s what rumbas are supposed to be like!” Tessa protests, even as she feels her cheeks get redder and redder. She internally laments her pale complexion. 

“Um… no. I’ve watched every season of DWTS and Strictly, and that rumba is  _ way _ sexier than like 99% of the rest of them. Like I need to rush home and take care of myself, kind of sexy! But I  _ can’t _ do that because we decided to make it a tradition to eat with you and Scott after every live show. And also because you are my little sister and I just conjured up an image of a ten year old you in pigtails and  _ eww!” _

Tessa can feel her blush spread even further across her body as she remembers her performance earlier this evening. It was only after the generous applause had ended, and the judges had raved about her technique and her incredible connection with Scott on the dance floor, that she had suddenly caught sight of Kate and Jordan in the audience. That was  _ definitely _ embarrassing. 

Prior to that moment, she had just been flattered by Marie-France praising their performance for walking that fine balance between risqueness and romance. But as she caught sight of Kate and Jordan across the dancefloor, she recalled how she had forgotten to give her family heads up about the theme and content of the dance. The scores arrived promptly then though (a mix of 7s and 8s), and the delight Tessa had felt at the high scores, swept all thoughts of her family’s reaction aside. 

Now however, Jordan seems determined to bring it up. And attach her own speculation to it.

“We were in character! You know very well how worried I was about this dance. But I finally managed to get into the mindset and it worked! The judges liked it and frankly I think you should be proud! Isn’t it good that people think I can do characters and story-telling? It might totally give Scott and I an edge with the competition. I thought you were supposed to be supportive of me joining the show!” 

Tessa crosses her arms and glares at her older sister. When it comes to Jordan, the adage “the best defense is a good offense” seems particularly applicable. And she’s going to pile on everything she’s got. 

“So you are saying that the entire dance was  _ acting?” _ Jordan arches a skeptical eyebrow at her. “You and Scott should be winning Oscars then!”

Tessa continues to glower at Jordan. There’s no way she is going to let Jordan know about that tiny crush of hers on Scott, and glowering seems like a good tactic when her older sister gets this way. Like a dog with a bone.

“Honestly, we have watched Scott dance with how many partners in the past? He definitely wasn’t able to ‘act’ with any of them like that!”. 

Tessa doesn’t know how Jordan does it. But those quotation mark gestures she made were  _ very _ aggressive. 

Tessa scrabbles for a deeper defense. “That’s not true! Scott’s been linked to a few of his partners in the past. Actually pretty much most of the young and single ones! And even the two of us were semi-convinced he might be interested in Yuna Kim! Remember how you were trying to interrogate him about it that season?!”

Jordan scoffs and waves Tessa’s comments aside. “Yuna was just really,  _ really _ pretty and that was wishful thinking on our part. But I’m your sister and I know  _ you _ . Who knows, you might be a great actress when dancing… but  _ I _ seriously doubt it. Because you are a  _ terrible _ liar!”

Tessa sputters indignantly. Unable to figure out what to say next. It’s amazing how arguing with her older sister turns her into a young pre-teen again, all tongue-tied and sullen.

“It’s alright though. While it will probably garner you some votes, for now I do think you should keep things quiet from the fans. Some of Scott’s super fans might hate the fact that  _ you _ are sleeping with him, and not them. So I think play it by ear, until we are certain that fans like the idea of you together.”

“Scott and I are not sleeping together!” Tessa exclaims loudly. Completely exasperated by her sister’s one-track mind and flippant lack of belief. “And don’t you dare spread that rumour around!”

“Tessa, that rumour was already spread by yourselves! That rumba performance of yours probably scandalised half the country and got the other half really hot and bothered! My phone has been pinging all night from friends and family. And you don’t want to know what’s happening on social media! Oh and if you want a good concrete example? There was this whole group of middle-age women seated behind Mom and me during the show, and  _ trust me, _ they were all twittering about the two of you for the rest of the broadcast. They approve by the way. They all seem to think you look like a nice young couple who should marry and reproduce gorgeous babies.”

“It was just a normal rumba!” Tessa insists stubbornly. She’s decided that she’s going to keep to this defense, especially if she continues to be questioned on this damn dance.

“Fine, fine!” Jordan shrugs and raises her hands as if in surrender. “It’s a compliment then, if it really is all acting, and you really are that oblivious about your insane chemistry with Scott. Either way, I don’t think you should be too shy about that aspect of your partnership. Strategically, I think it’s gold.”

Tessa has to stop the conversation there. She just survived the rumba and the vote on the show (Robin Cousins was indeed the first celebrity out)... And she really doesn’t have the energy or fortitude to unpack this whole conversation with Jordan, or think about either her hidden crush on Scott or how her mother might have reacted to the dance.

Thankfully, a group of females enter the ladies then, and saves her from more nosy questions and comments from Jordan.

When they go back to the table though, Jordan had better not say anything embarrassing to Scott.

=====

Scott groans loudly. 

He hates this song. 

He  _ really _ hates this song.

He still can’t believe Tessa chose  _ this _ for Guilty Pleasures Week. Which meant he not only had to choreograph a quickstep to it. But that they would have to rehearse their steps to this song, again, and again,  _ and again! _

When he woke up and thought about coming to rehearsal this morning, there was a split second when Scott honestly wanted to crawl under his covers and hide there for awhile. Quickstep isn’t the easiest dance in the bunch. The word “quick” in its name pretty much gives away how fast the tempo is and how quickly their feet will have to fly in unison across the dancefloor. 

And it’s not that he thinks Tessa will ever do badly in  _ any _ dance in the competition since she’s such a natural talent... But you combine quickstep and this song, and Scott had immediately felt unmotivated and uninspired. Which is undeniably worrying. 

The truth is there’s been many songs in past seasons which Scott either disliked or which had provided him with little to no inspiration. And thankfully he’s usually gotten through them successfully.  _ [Note: Scott likes to think he’s pretty good at his job. After so many years, he can easily whip out a dance (or two or three) in a week as necessary.]  _

However, he’ll be the first to admit that some of these dances were not up to his usual standards of choreography. Of course, sometimes pressure and a looming deadline can bring out his creativity and they turn out even better than he or the judges could hope for (see the two Emmys he has won in the past for choreography). But that’s a separate issue and one that didn’t seem applicable at the moment when nothing is sparking in his head.

Needless to say, what’s important to him now, is that no such substandard choreography occurs  _ this _ season. 

Because Tessa deserves his best.  _ All the time.  _

She was  _ amazing _ with the rumba at the last live show. And Scott could still feel that thrum of energy and exhilaration in his body (and in hers) as they performed in front of the judges and the cheering audience. Somehow, when he and Tessa perform together live, something very  _ magical _ happens. He truly believes that their live performances have been better than  _ any _ of their rehearsals. And the ease in which he and Tessa can get in the zone and be completely in sync with one another, means he firmly believes they can go all the way to the end of this competition. 

_ [Note: Scott doesn’t dwell much on his five mirrorball wins. Definitely not as much as his colleagues and the fans of the show do. In fact, he forgets them sometimes and has misplaced several of the trophies over the years (they are in some boxes somewhere, he thinks). But that doesn’t mean he isn’t proud of them. And why he’s fully willing to drop a reference or two in conversation whenever that smarmy  _ _ David Pelletier annoys him. Even easy-going Chiddy likes to mention his two wins to the Mirrorball-less David. It’s honestly great fun to rile that jerk. _ _ ] _

You Make My Dreams from Hall & Oates however, gives Scott’s usual confidence a huge knock back. The positive and upbeat feel is  _ way _ too peppy for him. And instead of being inspired, part of him wants to sink into a depressive state instead. The simplicity and straightforwardness of the song, is actually making it more difficult for him to choreograph something great for him and Tessa.

“Being a fan of the Maple Leafs, I thought you would love this song?” Tessa teases him, gently elbowing him in the ribs. They are seated beside each other on the floor. Tessa neatly cross-legged, while Scott is all sprawled out. “Surely this must be your favourite song during hockey season?”

“I can separate the goals itself from the goal song.” Scott flops back against the wall, while settling and leaning in closer to Tessa. “And no matter what link it has with the Leafs, the pieces are still not clicking right now. I don’t really like this choreo I have for you. And I definitely feel like we can do more...” 

He scuffs his shoes on the floor in frustration, and ignores the cameras which he knows are zooming into his face in the studio. Scott recognises he usually comes across as either a complete goofball or a very strict and focused instructor during these behind the scenes DWTS rehearsals. So he already knows the production team is enjoying this and will be showing it in the video package for the upcoming week. 

He can’t think about that though. He has much more important things to do. Like coming up with absolutely brilliant choreography for Tessa.

“I’m sorry you hate this song, Scott. What can I do to help?” Tessa asks, squeezing his arm gently.

Scott takes the opportunity to sulk for a few more seconds and indulge in his grumpiness. 

  
  


And then he sighs. “I just need to get out of this funk. Sometimes a good night’s sleep will help me come back with a brand new attitude and allow me to really vibe with the song. But it’s too early for us to call it a day. Let’s take a little break, and if you don’t mind, we’ll work some more on technique later...” He drops his head to rest it on Tessa’s shoulder. And he feels so much better, when she reaches up to smoothen back his unruly locks (that’s probably obscuring her face and neck at the moment). He does note that her fingers running through his hair, is really rather soothing. 

A minute or so passes.

“Why do you like the song so much?” Scott enquires faintly. 

“I know you think the song can be rather cheesy...” Tessa replies seriously. She props her chin up with the palm of her hand and Scott grins, realising that it makes her look quite adorable. 

“But I love how unabashedly simple it is - this idea of someone making your dreams come true. It’s also such a happy song. Just a pure expression of joy! I remember being a girl and bouncing on Jordan’s bed as we both danced awkwardly, without a care in the world of how terribly offbeat we were to this song. Because we were just having so much fun together… No matter where I am, when the song comes on, I just want to dance! And I love how it just makes you feel like a teenager in love for the first time and happy to have found that special someone who is making your dreams come true!”

She reaches for the remote controlling the sound system in the studio to play the song. And once that ubiquitous beat starts, Tessa starts tapping her feet and moving her body like an awkward pubescent girl again. 

Before the second bar of eight is over, she’s standing and pulling Scott to his feet. Tessa is lip-syncing the lyrics of the song, whilst encouraging him to dance just as spastically with her. And the next thing Scott knows, he’s completely caught up in her infectious energy. He immediately realises that she’s exaggerating her every dorky dance move to make him laugh. Especially when she starts doing the Cabbage Patch and the Roger Rabbit. And to match her, he throws in the most ridiculous steps he can think of as well, like the Running Man and the Sprinkler. 

By the end of the dance, they have devolved into random booty shaking and Scott is literally attempting to dance as offbeat as he possibly can (it’s way harder than you think it is, especially if you have an impeccable sense of rhythm). He’s rather proud at how he's turned the tables so that Tessa is the one now squealing in delight and falling apart in uproarious laughter. 

The song ends, and they fall into a heap in the middle of the dancefloor. Just clinging to one another in convulsions of mirth and glee. 

“Oh, you are brilliant Tessa Virtue!” Scott finally exclaims proudly, his voice a little muffled because somehow his face is nuzzled against her shoulder blades. 

He pushes himself up from the floor and leans over to give her a big loud kiss on one of her flushed cheeks. “I know exactly what we should do with the quickstep now!”

=====

Scott was right. The producers totally focused on his creativity block during the video package this week, but the snippets shown of his and Tessa’s impromptu dance party seemed to go down well with the audience. And it really helped with the setting of their quickstep dance.

Before the music started playing, Tessa was in her “bedroom” bobbing along to music and pretending to be a tennager getting ready for a date. And then Scott arrives in his varsity jacket at her front door to pick her up, and sweeps her off into an effervescent and irrepressible quickstep.

It really was the perfect way to show off Tessa’s great technique as well as her great personality. Everyone knows how smart and accomplished she is. After all, she’s the author of two New York Times bestsellers and has shown in her co-host job that she always has incisive and insightful views on all the various topics that are raised. 

But the public has not always gotten the chance to see how girly and bubbly Tessa can be. They are unaware of how she has the most infectious giggle in the world, which always sets Scott off (and makes the producers annoyed/amused at how incapacitated the two of them become for a few minutes). The general public also has no idea how Tessa’s smile is incandescent and can light up an entire rehearsal space or ballroom audience. And Scott wants to show everyone all these small but important things about her. Because she’s incredible and deserves to be appreciated for all facets of her personality (not just the smart side of her, which while important is not the only side of her that exists).

Tessa had confessed to him the other day, during a quiet lunch, that while she enjoys her job on The View, she’s very aware of the limitations of the format. When there are five people on the panel and they only have a few minutes allocated on each subject, it means there isn’t much opportunity to delve into any subject. And Tessa is the kind of person who cares just as much about delving into important topics like politics and psychology, as spending time on topics like fashion and entertainment. 

She had also previously shared with him that part of the reason why she had joined the cast of DWTS, was to show everyone that she wasn’t just this dull, serious journalist on television. That her interests spanned all kinds of subjects. 

“Actually, I feel like you could be the next Oprah?” Scott had said then. “Is that something you are interested in? A talk show of your own, or are you leaning more towards a 60 Minutes kind of segment?”

“I’m probably years away from being even considered for either option, but I would love both opportunities frankly,” Tessa replied without hesitation. “I'd probably love the idea of a talk show more, just because I could design it to really cover subjects I was interested in and yet dabble across a whole bunch of lifestyle subjects.”

“What would you do about the cooking segment though?” Scott asked mischievously. 

The scowl Tessa returned him, sent him off into an outburst of guffaws. It took a few slaps from Tessa against his arm to bring him back to a more serious mien, but she can’t blame him though. After one of their long days of practice, they had decided to grab some takeaway and retreat to Tessa’s apartment to watch Netflix (she had been recommending this sports drama to him that she thought he would enjoy). 

And somehow (Scott still has no idea how she managed this feat), she had caused the smoke alarm in her kitchen to go off whilst trying to heat up their rice! The image of Tessa frantically trying to flap away the smoke with a dishcloth, and only making the smoke worse, is imbedded forever in Scott’s mind. He’s pretty certain he will be teasing her about this for  _ years _ to come.

“I don’t have to do a cooking segment!” Tessa glowered. “But even if we did, these things can be outsourced to an expert. I’ll just come by the stove and stir a few pots.”

This set Scott off into more chuckles. “I don’t think you should be allowed anywhere near those pots either. You should have a few regular guests to do stuff like this instead. I’ll even drop by and do a kitchen segment to ensure you don’t go near an open flame on television!”

“Haha” Tessa replied in a deadpan voice. “Anyway, if you’re appearing on my hypothetical talk show, then I prefer if we save you for kitchen dance parties instead. After all, we’ll have to do some kind of dance segment and bring you on so that I’ll get a boost in ratings from the female audience.”

Scott remembers how much he had continued to laugh as they planned out Tessa’s dream talk show. Tessa always liked to joke about how good-looking and talented he was. And he’d always just throw her words back at her. He has proof how many of her fans admired her and seemed to want to emulate her in various ways. It only strengthens the idea in his mind that while Tessa can do anything she wants, she would be a perfect candidate to host her own show. 

If DWTS is a way for her to get more exposure and fans, and to tell those network executives that Tessa is a superstar who should have all these other opportunities, then he’s glad to do his little part in contributing to Tessa’s path to even more success. This quickstep is just one little building block he can advance to her cause.

Now that the quickstep is over and they’ve received some good praise from the judges, Scott enthusiastically tells Elvis and the audience at home, how Tessa should absolutely be credited for inspiring the entire dance. 

_ [Note: Brian thought they could improve on their gaping, and Scott was determined that from their next dance onwards, he and Tessa’s bodies will be stuck together like glue so that the judges can no longer nitpick about the space between them.] _

“So do you like the song now?” Elvis asks curiously. “Have you become a fan like Tessa?”

Tessa laughs as Scott pulls a face. 

“Well, I won’t go that far! I like the song better and I’m very proud of our quickstep but I can safely state that You Make My Dreams hasn’t joined my list of favourite songs.” Scott deadpans.

“I’m still working on it.” Tessa adds with a wink, as she threads her arm through Scott’s. “I’m determined to make him a fan.”

Scott pulls another horrified face. And is especially delighted to hear Tessa’s tinkling laugh ring out again.

He thinks she’s right though. Tessa has this special way about her, that makes everyone want to follow her to the depths of the unknown. Scott knows he himself is not immune to her charm. Considering the way in which she’s completely integrated herself in his life to the point he can't imagine not seeing her every day in a few months. 

Even though DWTS is an extremely immersive experience and Scott has joked that all his ex-partners are like work wives that he’ll eventually divorced after the season, he’s genuinely never been so close to any of his past partners as he is with Tessa. Usually after practice, he’s relieved to say goodbye, to take a little breather or break before coming back the next morning for more dancing. 

But with Tessa, he doesn't have that inclination. Instead, they hung out at each other’s apartments a few times. He joined her and Kate for brunch a few weeks ago. And next week, he’s going down to Casey’s house for a barbeque. 

His impulse with Tessa… is to spend as much time as he can with her. Which probably means she’ll have plenty of opportunity to get her way and incept that damn song into his head. If he is truly honest with himself, he actually doesn’t mind that song so much now, since it’s forever linked to this quickstep and Tessa in his mind. He will probably never let Tessa know this tidbit of information though. It’s way too much fun complaining about the song so that she either huffs in indignation or tries her very best to continue convincing him of the song’s merits.

At this moment, the scores come in and the judges’ paddles slowly turn, indicating that they have received all 8s! Tessa jumps for joy and clutches onto his arm in delight, while Scott pumps his other fist in excitement. 

Amidst the congratulations coming in from the couple surrounding them. Scott catches a glimpse of the radiance of Tessa’s smile and he instinctively pulls her in for a hug.

As he nuzzles into the crook of Tessa’s neck, he’s suddenly struck with the revelation that he would happily stay in this moment forever. And it would be  _ wonderful _ if he got a chance to have that smile of Tessa’s directed at him every day... 

_ Holy crap!  _

Scott has to stop his jaw from dropping then and there in front of everyone. He was definitely not expecting this little epiphany of his. 

  
  


*****

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those who may not be familiar, the Cabbage Patch, Roger Rabbit, Running Man and the Sprinkler are these really old school (corny) dance moves/grooves that I’m sure both Tessa and Scott picked up easily when they were kids.


	5. Waltzing Around in Circles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I know... another Jane Austen reference. I just can’t help myself!

Relationships within the dance community have always been slightly incesteous with dancers tending to date other dancers. After all, they were the people you spent most of your time with, and no one else will quite understand the passion and work that drives a dancer’s unique lifestyle.

Scott however, has not dated a dance partner of his since he was seventeen years old. Since Jessica Dube broke his heart when she decided partnering Bryce Davison could get her to the next level of competition faster than if she were to stick with Scott. In hindsight, Scott supposed it made sense for Jessica to jump ship. Bryce was older and had been competing at a more senior level for a longer amount of time. And it wasn’t unusual for female dancers to take the opportunity to partner someone more senior and jump a level or two.

However the nonchalant manner in which she had dropped Scott, left a bitter aftertaste in his mouth. It wasn’t just that Jessica had abandoned the two years of money and effort they had put into their partnership, but it was that she had no qualms ending her budding romance with Scott to start a new one with Bryce. In one fell swoop, Scott was left floundering without both his competitive and romantic partner.

_[Note: It ended up working out well for Scott. He won his under-21 and world latin junior championships with his next partner, Aneta. While Jessica and Bryce failed to obtain the success they were hoping for. They broke up within two years and last he heard, Jessica was performing on some cruise ship in Alaska.]_

Since then, Scott has made it a point to _never_ mix business with pleasure. He never dated a colleague, and he never dated anyone connected to DWTS. 

Sure, he’s seen it work before like Patch and Marie-France, and Max and Tati. But he’s also seen the epic way in which romance, relationships and work partnerships do not mix well together. The dissolution of David Pelletier and Jamie Sale’s marriage for example, occurred while they were both pros on DWTS. And boy was that _ugly!_

At first, more fans were supportive of David when news of the split broke, because he had always been more popular than Jamie on the show. Plus, he had gotten his spin of the story out in front of the public first. But slowly as more and more of the ugliness of their marriage was revealed in a two-way mud-slinging campaign to influence the divorce proceedings, the fans started to side with Jamie more. It seemed clear that David really was a terrible husband. 

In any case, it didn't matter who won the divorce or who had more fans supporting them, because DWTS ended up dropping _both_ of them from their line-up. The producers decided that the scandal (there were allegations of extramarital affairs and assault charges from both sides) was not appropriate for a family show like DWTS.

Scott had been a relatively new pro on the show back then, but he had a first row seat to all the unpleasantness that unfolded backstage. So that became further validation for him to never _ever_ date a dance partner again. 

And he never did. 

Then suddenly, after ten years on the show. Ten years of never crossing that line with any of his celebrity partners, and he can admit impartially that some of them were really attractive... Scott discovers he has feelings for Tessa. 

Not the platonic big-brotherly feelings he had for Gabby Daleman, who was going through a bad break-up at the time and needed cheering up and a boost in her self-esteem. Nor the camaraderie he had with Nelly Furtado, who encouraged him to further pursue his musical and acting career while still being a pro on DWTS. 

No, instead Scott has discovered he has deep, romantic, _ridiculously_ sappy feelings for Tessa Virtue. 

He would be disgusted with himself, if he wasn’t so busy trying to maintain a professional front to Tessa and everyone else. After all, there are _cameras_ following every minute of their rehearsals. Who knows what kind of stupid lovesick expression they might catch on his face!

Scott is legitimately terrified that his newly discovered feelings for Tessa are transparent for the world to see. His mother has always joked that since he was a young boy, Scott had a tendency of wearing his heart on his sleeve. Though she reassured him it was part of his charm and a reason why he was so popular on the show (as compared to Danny who sometimes came across as stoic and wooden on camera), Scott thinks this ‘positive’ trait might totally be backfiring on him now. 

So Scott tries really hard, but he knows he can’t help himself. 

When he looks back on the week, he realises he probably inadvertently gave himself away a dozen times. For example, when the producers told him that they selected that a Pride & Prejudice song for Tessa and him for Movie Week, he’s pretty certain he just smiled broadly like a smitten idiot. He was just happy that Tessa would get a chance to dance to this song she loves so much. And his mind had jumped straight into choreographing a beautiful Viennese Waltz for her. 

_[Note: Scott had ragged on the song quite a bit when Tessa first mentioned it in the early days of them rehearsing together. But truthfully, it wasn’t as terrible as You Make My Dreams. He just liked to tease her because of her utter indignance at his supposed hate of cravats and the movie.]_

It was only when Suzanne brought up how she expected him to protest more, that Scott realised how plainly he might be showing his hand. So he threw in a few jokes about Tessa bribing Suzanne and the producers to torture him. And disparaged cravats and breeches a couple of times. Before proceeding to spend the rest of the week trying to act as normal as possible.

Despite all of that effort though, Scott is aware he probably gave himself away with the Viennese Waltz he created for Movie Week. After all, your objectivity is bound to be screwed when you’re creating romantic choreography to perform with the girl you’re in love with. 

And Scott can admit to himself that the dance is totally inspired by Tessa, and his unrequited love for her. 

The routine was supposed to be a safe place to channel all his lovelorn feelings. But after pouring his heart and soul into it, Scott’s left feeling very vulnerable and exposed. He’s hoping if anyone catches him looking longingly at Tessa while he twirls around the dancefloor with her in his arms... maybe… _maybe_ they’ll just think he’s being in character.

Scott looks across the rehearsal space to see Tessa laughing and joking with Kaityln during their water break. Apparently they are discussing this new boutique Tessa found in the Valley and they are arranging to go shopping there together later in the evening. His heart aches as he watches her tuck some stray hair behind a ear, and crinkle her nose in amusement at something Kaitlyn says, 

He reminds himself firmly that Tessa is his friend. Nothing more.

She just sees him as her dance partner. Someone that will hopefully help lead her to a Mirrorball trophy. 

And since she’s not interested in him for anything else, Scott wants so badly to help her get it.

=====

If Tessa thought she enjoyed dancing quickstep with Scott on the DWTS ballroom floor, it’s nothing compared to the feelings that are stirred up when she watches Scott dance with Poppy to the Hall and Oates song at Casey’s barbecue.

It’s Saturday afternoon, two days before they have to perform the viennese waltz on another live show. And her little niece is having the time of her life as Scott dances with her across the lawn. At times she is standing on Scott’s feet as he does the complicated steps for them both. At others, he’s lifting Poppy and swinging her around in the air.

Truthfully, there’s nothing more attractive to Tessa than watching Scott interact with Poppy. Tessa can tell he’s genuinely enjoying the young girl’s company, and Poppy is clearly enamored with him. And it’s ridiculously adorable watching them have fun together. 

You know that meme of exploding ovaries? That image is literally running through Tessa’s head on repeat! Tessa never thought she was a particularly maternal type before... But somehow seeing Scott playing with her niece? A little girl who has genetic similarities to her own self? Let’s say it’s definitely stirring something rather low in her stomach.

And she knows she’s not the only one with those thoughts. Her cousin, Rebecca, and her sister-in-law Michele are standing next to her, and they are sighing so loudly it’s almost a musical chorus! Embarrassed, Tessa quickly sobers her expression from these potential witnesses.

Then Scott bends over to lift Poppy up and give her a piggyback ride. And the three of them are treated with a fantastic view of his butt.

 _“Damn!_ Plee-aase tell me you are tapping that, Tessa!” Rebecca is panting openly at this point. And Tessa can almost hear the drool dripping from her older cousin’s lips. “It honestly would be a real waste if you weren’t!”

Tessa can’t stop the groan that escapes. “It’s not like that between Scott and I. He’s a good friend. And we just dance together. I don’t know why I have to keep repeating this to people!”

“Because you’re single, he’s single. You’re hot, he’s hot. So to everyone, the math is very simple! Also if he wasn’t a good decade younger than me, _I_ would be actively trying to fight you for him!” Rebecca grins lavisciously, making both Tessa and Michele chuckle. Rebecca has never shied away from her past and current reputation as an incorrigible flirt. And Tessa has no doubt Rebecca would end up hitting on Scott sometime this afternoon. It’s just the way she interacts with all men - young, old, attractive or not. Someone young and good-looking like Scott, would be such an easy target.

“Even though I’m happily married to your brother, I’m also very willing to agree that Scott is hot!” Michele says. “He also seems really nice… and it’s clear to everyone that you two get along well. So _my_ question is... _why not?”_

“Because my dear little sister here has been too cautious her whole life?” pipes in Jordan as she walks up from behind them, a teasing smirk playing on her lips. “For some reason, she’s too afraid to say yes to a guy who’s clearly into her. I mean, _come on,_ he looks at you as if you hung the moon in the sky!”

At that moment, Scott happens to glance over to the group of four women staring at him. He startles, before waving at all of them. And then his smile grows wider as he gaze turns towards Tessa. She finds herself giving him a cheesy grin in return. Then Poppy draws back Scott’s attention with a rather rough yank on his hair.

“See!” Jordan exclaims. “Someone tell me there weren't sparks just flying between Tessa and Scott. It happened right in front of _all_ of us. With no dance routine here as an excuse!”

As Tessa moans softly and covers her face, Michele is the one to push forward Jordan’s agenda. “She’s right, Tessa. There’s definitely something brewing between the two of you. Honestly, you are secretly dating right? If not, what’s holding you back? And please don’t say you don’t find him attractive. Because we won’t believe you.”

“It’s just not that way between us!” Tessa says flatly. “And I’m not denying I find Scott handsome. But we’re dance partners, that’s all. And we’re in this competition together… so it seems really unprofessional for me to be having this conversation with you.”

She’s taking a step away from the others when Jordan hurriedly concedes. “Fine, fine… we won’t tease you anymore. Anyway, I came over to tell you I took a video of Scott dancing with Poppy. You should totally post it on your social media. It’ll be cute.” 

It turns out _many_ people find it extremely cute. Tessa was careful to ensure that Poppy’s face is not visible in the video, but before the barbecue is over, there’s thousands of comments from fans squealing about the adorable scene. They seem to take the video as further evidence that Scott is really, _really_ close to Tessa and her family... which is true and not something she would dispute. However they are also speculating many other theories which are _completely_ false… which Tessa has learned to ignore.

“I can’t believe you captioned this video and cited it as proof that I’ve been converted to a Hall and Oates fan! I call foul!” Scott exclaims as he drops into the chair next to her and passes her the glass of wine she requested for. He’s sipping from his own bottle of beer he collected from the kitchen. Most of Casey’s guests have left, but the rest of the party have moved into the house and are scattered around the various rooms. 

“But the video clearly shows you humming and singing the song as you were dancing with Poppy! If that’s not true, then I don’t know what is.” Tessa replies impishly.

“Because she wanted to learn the quickstep! So obviously I have to do it to the same song!” Scott narrows his eyes at her. “I never thought you would be this sneaky!”

“Me? Sneaky?” Tessa bats her eyes at him innocently. 

“Totally!” Scott laughs as he gently elbows her in the arm. “I’m going to refute this right now.” He takes out his phone from his back jean pocket and starts typing.

Tessa’s phone beeps, signaling a notification has come through. And she opens it to see Scott has replied to her post. 

_ScottMoir14 - I’m only willing to dance to Hall and Oates again because it was with my all-time favourite partner… Poppy Virtue. No one else can compare!_

Tessa gasps. Loudly. And folds her arms as she glares at Scott. “I can’t believe you just went there.”

“Hey, you started this!” Scott smiles so wide, his eyes crinkle up.

She responds online with - _Well Poppy would probably be my favourite dance partner too. She is always on time. And she doesn’t have an irrational dislike for the P &P soundtrack. _

With a mischievous gleam in his eye, Scott dives back into his phone and replies with - _Talk about indoctrinating them young. Also if you want to bring P &P in, Poppy totally wants to learn the P&P waltz… from me. She’s already asked me to teach her the steps! _

“You know what… that sounds like proof that you have become a P&P convert as well! I should tweet about that! And how much you actually secretly love wearing cravats!”

“There’s _nothing_ in my caption that indicates-”

“Um guys?” Jordan says as she sits down on a neighbouring sofa chair and gestures at them both and down to her phone. “Just so you know… this is weird.”

“Yeah exactly.” Casey says from behind them. He walks forward to add a platter of snacks on the coffee table. “If you want to flirt, fine. But leave my daughter out of it,” he smirks as he sweeps out of the room.

Tessa is way too taken aback to reply. Though she’s certain a protesting squeak did come out of her mouth. A glance at Scott shows that he’s rubbing the back of his neck in discomfort, and avoiding her gaze. There’s an awkward silence between them whilst Jordan laughs hysterically like a dying hyena.

“What’s going on in here?” Kate asks, surprising everyone with her presence at the open doorway. 

“Nothing much.” Jordan grins. “Just an awkward truth bomb lingering in the air.”

“Alright then,” Kate replies with a gentle smile. 

Then she raises an inquiring eyebrow. “By the way Scott, what’s this I hear about _Poppy_ being your favourite partner?”

=====

Being in love with your partner is difficult. Especially when you have to be around her every day and try your damndest not to show it. 

During the live show earlier this afternoon, Scott had fully embraced indulging in this romantic Viennese Waltz with Tessa. And now he is struggling a little to keep his hands to himself again. If he had his way, he would happily keep his arm around her waist the whole night. Instead of letting her go off to talk to the press line after the show. 

“That was a really gorgeous waltz tonight!” Patch congratulates him as they mill about backstage, waiting for the producers to come round, and for the remaining press to dissipate. “Brian was just being his pedantic self when he docked you a point for that minor lift and gave you the eight. The routine was definitely worthy of all nines.”

“Thanks!” Scott replies as he pulls off that annoying cravat. Now that his interviews are over, he has no qualms removing the noose from his neck. “Viennese waltzes aren’t usually my favourite but I think it’s going to join the ranks of my favourite choreography on the show. You and Michelle did good as well. I can’t believe you guys did a James Bond routine. That was super cool. Though of all songs in that catalog, you guys picked The World is Not Enough? Surely there must have been something more modern in the mix?!”

Patch raises his eyebrows and nods agreeingly. “I think Michelle liked the movie and Pierce Brosnan a lot when she was younger, so I guess the producers decided to choose that song for us.” 

“Well... no matter what songs you guys ended up with, it can’t beat us. We had to dance to _Frozen!”_ Stephane grimaces. “I know Kaitlyn has blonde hair and looks the part but what the hell? I definitely hate that song now.”

“Honestly, that song is still popular. You’ll probably get a lot of votes after that routine.” Scott replies reassuringly. He’s glad he and Tessa didn’t get Let It Go though. He hears that song way too much whenever his nephews and nieces visit. 

“Well, at least there’s that.” Stephane replies moodily. “It’s good to have extra votes for next week.”

The few pros standing there nod in commiseration. That’s why they are all gathered here after the show. The producers are about to let them know their new pairings for Switch-Up Week. And everyone's a little nervous. 

While all the pros have gone through this process before, it’s always nerve-wracking to relinquish control and let another pro take the lead of your celebrity’s fate. Scott knows everyone secretly has their preference of how the switch will go this week. He personally doesn’t mind who he gets paired with, but he knows who he'd rather trust with Tessa during the Switch-Up. Max for example, is trustworthy, but Max just got booted off the show with Shae-Lynn Bourne in a surprise elimination. Honestly, her scores should have kept her around slightly longer, but somehow she wasn’t making enough of an impression on the DWTS voters. 

_[Note: the sequence of elimination thus far have been (i) Robin Cousins and Sasha; (ii) Johnny Weir and Joannie; and (iii) Shae-Lynn Bourne and Maxim.]_

While Scott knows Max was disappointed not to have lasted longer, the pros are all used to these unexpected eliminations. 

And so while Scott feels bad for his friend, his primary focus now is on who he and Tessa will switch-up with. He’s obviously friends with all the male pros left on the show, but there’s a small part of Scott who’s worried Tessa might prefer her new partner to him. That would be rather a crushing blow.

As he glances around the room, Tessa comes by to stand next to him, slowly unpinning her hair that’s been swept up in this elegant regency-like hairstyle and adorned with small white flowers.

“Do we know if we are being swapped directly with another couple, or if they’ll just mix up all the pairings?” Tessa makes a tiny wince as her hair gets tangled with the mess left behind by the hair gel/spray. 

“It’ll depend. With the guys, there are only four celebs left so they could just swap them directly. However with five female celebs left, the producers might decide to mix everyone up. Is there… is there someone you prefer to switch with?” Scott asks, stuttering on the last part as he reaches to help her untangle her hair from the pins. 

Tessa replies with a shrug, and Scott finds his gaze lingering on the elegant line of her neck. She’s still wearing the beautiful period-appropriate looking gown the costume department created for her, and if Scott didn’t have to suffer wearing a cravat during this performance, he would have easily cited their outfits as one of his favourites over the years.

“I don’t know. But Kaitlyn was saying it’s be great if we could swap with one another. It’ll be easier and we could have joint practices.” 

Kaitlyn huh? Scott recently learned at the barbecue that Jordan has a crush on Stephane and he wonders if Tessa might have one as well. Perhaps that’s why she’s mentioning this possible swap with Kaitlyn... 

“With some of the other celebs like Katelyn and Michelle, you might have to travel with them out-of-state right?” Tessa continues, with a slight frown. 

“True...” Scott furrows his brow as well. With how stable Tessa’s schedule has been this season, he had forgotten how much travelling some of the other celebs have been involved in. “It doesn't matter though. We can easily still keep in contact and you can let me know if anyone is bullying you.” 

He mock glares around the room, to garner a chuckle out of Tessa, even as he reassuringly squeezes her shoulder. And despite wanting to linger, Scott is careful to keep his touch light and brief before stepping away.

Internally, he’s starting to think maybe their separation during the upcoming week would be good for him. A little distance should help him pull himself together, and force him to figure out how to balance his romantic feelings with his job. 

If all goes to plan, he still has another six weeks of partnering left with Tessa to reach the final. And he needs to make sure he’s alert and on point to help her do so.

So even though his heart clenches a little at being parted from Tessa, he smiles as the producers explain how the format will unfold the next week, and start announcing the various new pairings. 

Scott can tell from the atmosphere that not all the pairings are well received. Carolina for example, seemed unhappy that she and her celeb Javier would switch up with Nathan Chen and Piper? However he doesn’t have too long to wonder what’s going on with the two blonde pros. The producers move to the female celebs, and he and Tessa are informed that she would be swapping directly with the other female on top of the leaderboard. 

Tessa has been paired with Patch, and he would be partnering Michelle. 

Huh. That’s not too bad. At least their swap isn’t with Kaitlyn and that too-handsome-for-his-own-good Stephane. Friend that Stephane is, Scott would rather Tessa pair up with Patch any day.

  
  


*****

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok this should be the last of the DWTS routines that are outside of VM’s programme catalogue. From now on, we will be going back to more familiar routines to VM fans. I just wanted to include both You Make My Dreams and P&P into the storyline. =P Furthermore, I do try and reference real figure skating routines/references in the fic when I can, so both Michelle Kwan and Kaitlyn Weaver did skate routines to those songs.
> 
> Also a switch-up! I was totally torn between switching Tessa and Scott with Kaitlyn and Stephane, or with Michelle and Patch. But I just want more Patch in this fic so it’s going that way!


	6. What Happens During a Switch-Up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you had been keeping up with my other fic, you would know that last week I went to a rather negative place, having seen some ugly behaviour in the fandom. I’m feeling a lot better now and want to thank everyone for their positive and encouraging words.

Patrice Lauzon has always enjoyed his job. It’s been over twelve years since he and his wife were approached to participate in this new reality television show (which they thought was both a random and ridiculous concept) called Dancing with the Stars. And they honestly thought it wouldn’t last past the first season. They were skeptical the show would even make the six weeks needed to reach the finale!

However, they had just retired from the ballroom competition scene, and the gig paid more than any struggling dancer could realistically hope for. So they thought why not? It would be an opportunity to earn some good money as well as get some publicity in Hollywood where they had just begun to teach classes. 

They  _ never _ thought DWTS would become the hit show that it has evolved into. And that they would get an entirely new career in front of the camera! 

Over the years though, they’ve realised how lucky they are to have kept this lucrative gig. Patch is the only pro left from the original pilot show, and he’s seen many of his dance friends and peers come and go since. Usually... it isn’t a voluntary choice. The producers have their own indiscernible reasons for deciding when they want to refresh the cast or why certain pros or troupe members should be dropped from the show. And the dancers themselves have very little power or say over their fate.

Nonetheless, he and Marie-France have better reassurance than some of the others, that their positions are fairly secure on the show. After all, he’s somehow lasted this long, and Marie-France is considered a popular judge on the show. 

If he is honest, Patrice is probably more worried about his own future than his wife’s. While he has a number of years left on his contract, he also knows he is by far the oldest pro on the cast, and age is always something one needs to be concerned about in Hollywood. Other times though, he remembers his friend Anton du Beke has managed to keep his Strictly Come Dancing gig in the UK even though he’s in his 50s! Frankly, Patrice hopes he can emulate such longevity and luck in the US version. But at least his and Marie-France’s income streams are not reliant solely on DWTS. Over the last decade or so, he and Marie-France have managed to build up a thriving dance studio in LA and no matter what happens, he knows he’ll continue to teach there long after he leaves DWTS or the show forces him out.

But for now, he’s still going to enjoy his time on DWTS.

Having been involved with the show from the very start, Patrice recognises he has a reputation for being viewed as a steady and reliable partner. And he believes it is partly because of his years of experience, and partly because he has just seen and experienced it all on the show. He’s seen some amazing celeb journeys... he’s seen lots of good choreography... he’s seen some terrible tantrums and breakdowns…

And he’s also seen attraction and love blossom amongst the pro dancers and their celebrities...

In many ways, it is to be expected. You put a bunch of young, good-looking people together every day for a few months, and there’s bound to be sparks flying about. He and Marie-France know better than most how a couple can fall in love through dancing together.

However, these DWTS romances tend not to last past the season because they’re usually based on lust and physical attraction. And once the season is over, the ‘couple’ will realise they are in LA which is filled with millions of other attractive dating possibilities. One of the best examples Patrice can think of, is that fiasco between Carolina and her then-boyfriend/dance partner and douchebag reality star Alex Schwazer. The less anyone remembers about that ‘relationship’, the better. None of the current pros even dare to mention the entire  _ year _ of 2014 to her. 

And then there was Dylan Moscovitch who had been engaged, then dis-engaged to one of his fellow troupe dancers. And had dated or tried to pursue flings with at least three of his past celeb partners on the show. Patrice was careful to keep his feelings and thoughts to himself, but he was privately very happy when Dylan got dropped as a pro. He disliked the thought of working with someone who treated the show like his own personal soap opera or dating platform. 

It definitely made Patrice more cynical about romances borne out of the heightened reality of the show. And he didn’t think very highly of those who faked showmances to try and earn votes to win a Mirrorball Trophy his daughter Billie-Rose could probably make herself with $10 of material and a hot glue gun. 

But somehow, whatever is happening between Tessa and Scott seems different from all those other past romances that have crashed and burned on the show.

When Tessa Virtue first got assigned as Scott’s partner, Patrice truly didn’t think much about it. He vaguely remembered the shy teenager from Kate Virtue’s season, and thought it was nice of the producers to pair her up with the male pro she would be most comfortable with. 

Patrice was also familiar with Scott, having known him since he was a young boy. And given how charming he knows the boy can be, he’s always been surprised that Scott had  _ never _ dipped his toe in the DWTS dating pool before. Unlike many of his peers, Scott had kept it professional, and always seemed more preoccupied with doing his job and coming up with incredible choreography, instead of flirting with every celebrity partner he got assigned to. 

Then pre-rehearsals started for this season. And Patrice had the chance to observe Tessa and Scott together at the studio. 

Talk about  _ sparks! _

It was understated, but the crackling in the air was so obvious to the entire cast and crew who interacted with them. Even a usually disinterested person like himself can tell that these two attractive, single people had really great chemistry together both off and on the floor.

Patrice was not the only pro to try and better understand the development of Scott’s fast ‘friendship’ with Tessa during those first few weeks of rehearsal. He knows Patrick has probed Scott a little, and so has Joannie. Patrice had also been there when Tati had surreptitiously interrogated Scott about Tessa... 

He had initially been surprised to find Scott readily willing to answer all his friends’ nosy questions… Until he realised that the boy was genuinely  _ oblivious  _ to the unresolved sexual tension which was so apparent to the rest of them _!  _

Eventually, it became a little harder to keep track of the progression of Tessa and Scott’s ‘friendship’ because Patrice’s partner Michelle had to travel out of state often for work. But every time they returned to the LA studio to rehearse or do the live show, Patrice would watch Tessa and Scott out of the corner of his eye. To see if his suspicions might be way off or if Scott had finally fallen in love. He was very fond of the younger pro, and it would be great to see him settle down.

As the weeks passed, it became extremely clear to Patch (and everyone else) that this wasn’t some fauxmance for votes, or a lusty fling that was brewing between Tessa and Scott. It seemed a lot purer and sweeter than that. Sometimes it was even reminiscent of high school sweetheart-ing. Scott was giving her piggybacks rides! And the two of them could giggle and laugh over their own private jokes all through lunch, not even realising they are discluding everyone else from their little bubble. He even knows that Tessa and Scott are hanging  _ outside _ of practice together.  _ [Note: If you still want to spend time with someone after a whole day of practice with them... something has to be going on.] _

Marie-France was even convinced that the two of them might already be secretly dating. She thought their chemistry was too hot, for there to not be something going on, and had asked Patrice to find out what he could while he was paired with Tessa this week. 

It takes only about two days of rehearsal with Tessa though, for Patrice to determine that Tessa and Scott are  _ not  _ secretly dating. He is pretty certain that they however, are crushing on each other  _ hard _ . Like clueless high school teenagers with no idea how the other feels about them. 

It would be amusing, if he didn’t suddenly find himself drawn into their mess.

Previously, when Patrice had swapped partners with Scott on the show, the two of them would keep each other in the loop. It was just common courtesy, and the pros could exchange useful tips and advice on how to help their respective celebs. However this week, the younger pro has gone overboard in his keenness to hear _every,_ _single_ detail of how rehearsals had gone. The usually easy-going Scott might be trying to play it cool, but he’s definitely trying to solicit any miniscule news about Tessa he can from Patrice. 

Also, while Patrice isn’t as familiar with Tessa, he too can tell how far from indifferent she is to Scott Moir. She is far,  _ far  _ too interested in any story he happens to share about Scott, and is terrible at pretending she isn’t literally perched on a stool eagerly absorbing it all. 

For example, he happened to mention that he took lessons from Scott’s mother back in the day (Alma Moir is one of the best latin dance teachers in Canada), and to help pay for them he had babysat Scott and his older brother Charlie several times when they were little. Tessa had been absolutely delighted by this tidbit of information and asked countless follow-up details. When Patrice was able to dig out an old photo of a nine year old Scott winning one of his early competitions, Tessa had been even more ecstatic! She had asked for it for blackmail purposes, but Patrice strongly suspects she just found that picture of Scott ridiculously adorable.

His wife thinks he should intervene in some manner. But that’s because Marie France also has a soft spot for Scott and is of the view that Tessa would be a  _ lovely _ match for him. According to her, the boy’s been too focused on his career and needs to grab Tessa before it’s too late.

Patrice however, doesn’t want to get involved. 

His job this week is to come up with a cha cha routine for Tessa to the song Oye Como Va. It’s a good solid song, and Patrice would rather focus on ensuring that Tessa continues to earn high marks from the judges than meddle with her love life.

Furthermore, he wouldn’t know the first thing about matchmaking, even if he wanted to.

=====

Tessa knows that out of all of the pros on the show, Patch is the one Scott admires the most. And she totally gets it. Patch is a really good teacher. He’s patient, understanding, and Tessa completely appreciates why his studio with Marie-France is one of the most popular in LA.

She also enjoys the stories Patch shares of Scott and his family. Apparently he’s known the Moir family for  _ years _ because of their mother Alma _.  _ Though originally out of all the Moir boys, he was most familiar with the oldest Danny since they were closer in age and had overlapped a little in the competitive circuit. In fact, when Danny was interested in the possibility of applying for the show, it was Patch who linked him up with the casting department for an audition.

_ [Note: Charlie hadn’t taken dance very seriously, while Scott was too young to have ever competed against him] _

“I remember Danny from when my mother competed, but he left the show quite a while back, right?” Tessa asks curiously “Scott said he’s back in Canada?”

“Yes, when the show didn’t extend his contract, Danny decided to go back to the family studio. He teaches there now with Alma and took over all the business side of things.”

“Oh,” Tessa says, suddenly startled. “I always thought the show liked the idea of having two brothers on the show together.”

“They did. And they definitely played up that angle quite a bit at the start when Scott came in. But Danny isn’t the natural showman and talent that Scott is. And while everyone knew Scott was quickly becoming the most popular pro on the show, we also knew Danny’s heart wasn’t quite in it. The show can be quite the grind, and if you dislike aspects of it, it’s hard to keep going on. I still keep in contact with Danny and he is much happier in Ilderton.”

“Oh… do you think Scott is planning to go back and teach one day too?”

She recalls how close Scott is to his family, and the prospect of him moving away from LA, is not very welcome to her.

“Perhaps. I know whenever he goes back, he makes time to teach a class or two. Some basic stuff and maybe something related to choreography. But he teaches at our studio too. Those classes are  _ very _ popular, so we try and cajole him to come by when he can.” Patch replies with a small smile. “But who knows with Scott? He and his family are really close, but at the same time, he’s got all these other opportunities to do things here and elsewhere.”

This is a stark reminder to Tessa that once the season ends, she and Scott will go their separate ways. Scott’s going straight into prepping for his own 50-city song and dance tour, while she will be based in LA continuing with the View. While Tessa knows she has no claim over him or their friendship, it makes her rather sad to remember she won’t always get to see Scott every day. 

In fact, it’s only been a few days into the Switch-Up week, and she already misses his presence and energy in the room. Patch is wonderful, but it isn’t the same as having Scott around. Making her laugh, giving her Netflix recommendations, helping her decide what dress she should wear for her keynote speech at her empowering girls event last week... 

Yes sure, the crush still exists, and probably biases her towards wanting him to be around all the time. But even if she ignores her unrequited feelings, Scott has become a really good friend in the last month or so. In contrast, she can tell some of the other partnerships in the competition are purely professional.  _ [Note: Nathan and Piper are lovely people, but she’s not even sure they are friends and will even keep in contact once the competition is over!] _ However, Tessa knows she’s bonded with Scott on things she doesn't even discuss with her own friends and family.

For instance, he knows how hard she’s trying at the View, and how there are times she still feels she doesn’t quite gel in with the vibe and format of the show. Sure, the other ladies have been working together for a few years and Tessa’s the new kid on the block. So it’ll take time… But she does wonder if there may be a better fit for her somewhere else out there.

Similarly, he’s well aware of what it’s like to be the baby of a family. Always to be coddled (in her case) or bossed about (in his case) by older siblings who forever think you are twelve. She and Scott also share the reality of overprotective mothers who still like to call and check in on you, whether you are in the same city or miles away in another country. 

Tessa has never met Alma Moir before, but her presence does loom large and entertain. Scott has told her several stories that made Tessa laugh heartily at a woman driven to the edge of exasperation by the antics of three boisterous sports-loving boys. Tessa has also been a lucky beneficiary of the coveted batch of homemade cookies Alma sends over to Scott every two months. Tessa may not know how to bake, but she will try if it means more of those incredible cookies. She’s even asked Scott if Alma would ever part with the recipe, and he joked that she would need to be adopted as part of the family first. As far as he knew, only his sister-in-law has a copy. 

It’s random conversations like these that Tessa has been missing while Scott’s off in New York with Michelle. The time difference has made it difficult for them to chat, so they’ve texted back and forth through the week. But she still misses him. 

Tessa has to admit she’s also distracted by the notion of Scott being paired with Michelle. Michelle is such a beautiful dancer and clearly the favourite to win the competition. And so Tessa can’t help but wonder if Scott is enjoying the week dancing with someone so much more talented than her like Michelle...

She never expected a mere switch-up in partners with Michelle of all people, would stir up the green-eyed monster in her.

“I’m really enjoying this Switch-Up!” Kaitlyn declares. Both she and Tessa happened to have their costume fitting at the same time, so it was a good opportunity to catch up. “I like Patrick. And it’s good to have this little change of pace mid-season, otherwise I do think things would have gotten rather boring!”

“I get what you mean, but I think I’m less welcoming to change as you.” Tessa laughs. “I feel a bit thrown for a loop this week. I’m just grateful Patch is so calm and composed all the time.”

“Yeah Patch is great.” Kaitlyn says with a grin. “But you know that since this whole season started, I really was hoping to swap with you and get Scott this week right?”

“Really?!” Yes, Kaitlyn had mentioned it in passing a few times the week before, but Tessa never gave it a second thought.

“You know how much I  _ love _ his choreo, and I used to have a crush on him. Combine that with how I even have the Argentine Tango this week and it would have been perfect! I’ve loved almost all his AT choreography from past seasons! Do you remember that one he did with Yuna? I still get chills!”

“Wait! You used to have a  _ crush _ on him?!?” Tessa exclaims. She almost gets whiplash from how quickly her head had spun towards Kaitlyn after that specific tidbit of information was revealed. Her heart is suddenly racing.

“Well yes of course! I was a fan of him and the show before I even got on the Bachelorette, and after you know what happened at the final rose ceremony,” Kaitlyn makes a face, “I kinda thought it might be nice to get paired with Scott on this show. That’s pretty much why I signed up when DWTS came calling - a competition to throw myself into, some eye candy distraction…”

Tessa’s heart momentarily stalls. She has no idea how to reply to this  _ crush _ of Kaitlyn’s. But she doesn’t have to worry long as Kaitlyn blithely continues.

“Don’t worry though. It was a minor, purely objective crush based solely on his talent and how good he looks when he dances. Also... clearly, I’m not his type.” 

Kaitlyn winks at her. But Tessa ignores the teasing, like she has for the last few weeks. The tendrils of jealousy that has been creeping up in her though, thankfully subsides.

“I’m surprised the producers didn’t pair you up with Scott. I mean they would have loved that storyline and they obviously have no qualms pushing that showmance angle with you and Stephane…”

“I know! I’m so glad they’ve stopped. Just because I wanted a distraction from being dumped on national television, doesn’t mean I’m actually ready to jump into another relationship so soon! I’m happy I kept that little detail about Scott to myself, because come on, how embarrassing would that be, especially if they did partner me with Scott.” Kaitlyn rolls her eyes. “And honestly, I do think they paired me up with Stephane because he does kinda look similar to the douchebag who shall remain unnamed. I mean, how superficial do they think I am?”

As Kaitlyn continues venting, Tessa wonders how different things would have been if Kaitlyn had indeed been paired with Scott instead, and she had been assigned to Stephane. 

No doubt Jordan would be ecstatic, show up at her rehearsals all the time, and embarrass her tremendously. Tessa would probably still be friendly with Scott... But they wouldn’t be so close. And  _ maybe… _ perhaps she wouldn’t have developed any feelings for him. 

She speculates whether it would be worth it. 

And then concludes that she would rather have both unrequited feelings for Scott and their wonderful friendship, than have neither in her life.

===== 

It’s the day of the live shows, but everything is different and feels a little off. 

After dress rehearsal, Scott usually hangs out in Tessa’s trailer for a while before she has to go off to hair and makeup. That’s when he’ll go find some of the other cast and they’ll catch up on what’s happened in the week.  _ [Note: Sometimes because of their timings and schedules, they don’t get to see much of each other, even if they are rehearsing in the same building.] _

Michelle on the other hand, still has work she has to squeeze in on show day. So Scott leaves her alone and scampers off to find his friends. He thinks about going to find Tessa, but he doesn’t want to be accused of crowding her this week when she’s supposed to be focusing on her dance routine with Patch. So with great restraint, he instead finds Patrick and Stephane backstage, and they spend their time shooting the breeze. 

They had just been discussing Max and Tati’s plan to start a bootcamp for those fans interested in picking up latin and ballroom dance, when out of the corner of his eye, he catches Tessa coming out of the costume department area. Scott has to stifle the urge to let his jaw drop. This is the only week he hasn't been involved in her costume choices, and so he’s immediately taken aback to see her in her black dress. It’s a simple cut, just adorned enough, and perfect for Patch’s plan to show off all of Tessa’s technical skills in the cha cha. 

Maybe it’s because he’s been a bit Tessa-starved this last week, but Scott feels his heart ache as she smiles at him and starts walking over.

She’s  _ gorgeous.  _ And such a sight for sore eyes. It really doesn’t matter what she’s wearing or how much makeup she has on… he’s never going to fully comprehend how attractive he always finds her.

He can’t believe he thought the space during Switch-Up Week was going to help. Space has done nothing to curb his feelings for Tessa Virtue. It only reiterated the old adage that absence makes the heart grow fonder.

And he really needs to figure out soon whether he intends to tell her his feelings or just push it all aside. 

Thankfully he and Michelle had the paso doble this week, and he had his hands full choreographing something special and intricate for her. If it had been a cha cha (which usually doesn’t inspire him), he would have had to take the same route as Patch, choreographing something more standard which is focused on showing off technique instead. In that scenario, he’d probably have too much time to dwell on all those swirling feelings he has for Tessa. And whether he can make it through the rest of the season without saying something to her.

He may be  _ head over heels _ about her. But now is not the time to act like a lovesick fool in front of everyone else.

So with a smile, he goes up to greet Tessa as casually as possible. Though he can’t help squeezing in a quick affectionate hug that lifts her slightly off the floor as they talk. She does that little giggle of hers, and his heart quickens at the delightful sound.

Everything seems normal and right in the world with her by his side again. 

Until Suzanne comes by to remind him he needs to change and then pick up Michelle for their final checks.

Scott parts with Tessa reluctantly. 

And as he walks away from her, he sighs heavily. He really hates being parted from Tessa.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Patch was totally supposed to intervene more. But I think he decided to retreat from that role in this fic. He definitely is aware of what’s happening, and has his views about what should happen, but he feels it is not his place to interfere. Unlike his wife who would probably have flung herself into matchmaking Tessa and Scott if she had the opportunity. 
> 
> For those who may be interested, Tessa and Scott swapped with Michelle and Patch. However, there was more of a shuffle for the other three female celebs pairings of Kaitlyn and Stephane, Kaetlyn and Patrick, and Tracy and Jeremy. After the switch-up, Kaitlyn got Patrick, Kaetlyn got Jeremy, and Tracy got Stephane. As for the four remaining male celebs, they had straightforward direct swaps. Javier and Carolina swapped with Nathan and Piper, while Andrew and Tatiana swapped with Jeff and Madison.


	7. The Push and Pull of an Argentine Tango

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve been working from home for weeks now, and although I in theory should have more time to write (and do my other stuff), I honestly feel like there’s less time overall. Maybe it’s because in general, I’m so much less productive now, and I spend way too much time reading the news online.

Tessa has to admit she was jealous watching Michelle Kwan dance the paso doble with Scott earlier today. Standing at the balcony overlooking the dance floor, Tessa felt an acute sense of  _ gloom _ at watching  _ her _ partner stride fiercely across the floor with someone else. 

She had missed having Scott by her side all day as they went through their tech-run and got ready for the live show. But with her cha cha with Patch looming closer, she had to concentrate on not letting her nerves and nausea overcome her. 

That little chat she had with Scott backstage did help. Though she missed the pre-dance hug that’s almost become tradition for them at this point. And she was definitely grateful that she and Patch were scheduled to be one of the earlier dances during the show. The quicker they danced, the faster she could get off the floor and finally relax. 

After accomplishing a technical cha cha that the judges, especially Brian Orser, had commended her on (and gave her respectably high score on), Tessa was now home free. Able to settle back and chat with her fellow castmates like Jeff who were also done with their routines. She kept an eye out for Scott though, and could see him speaking to Michelle just before they were due to go on. 

It was weird to see Scott give someone else a pep talk (like how he usually does with her). But both she and Patch had cheered when Michelle and Scott took their positions on the dance floor. After all, the two couples were still teammates with one another, and Tessa wanted them to also dance well on the live show. 

And then the music started, and Tessa was swept away by their incredible performance. Their paso doble was strong and passionate, and at the end of the routine, Tessa had clapped enthusiastically along with the rest of the celebs waiting up in the balcony. 

However inside, slight envy ate at her. Tessa would never be able to dance like that. Like Michelle. The older woman had executed brilliantly what seemed to Tessa a ridiculously technical and difficult dance. And her years of training showed with every single, gorgeous and graceful line.

After the rave reviews and scores from the judges, Tessa continued to wonder how much Scott has enjoyed being paired with Michelle this week. Tessa’s pretty certain Scott likes her more as a person and as a friend. But if he were to purely put his dancer hat on, surely he would have liked to be partnered with Michelle all through the competition instead? Tessa knows the opportunity to choreograph is a big reason why Scott has stayed on the show, instead of leaving completely to pursue a dozen other possibilities. It must therefore be liberating and inspiring to be paired with someone as skilled as Michelle, instead of a newbie like Tessa…

She’s still lost in thoughts like these, when Scott drops onto the long red sofa next to her. 

“Alright Switch-Up Week is officially over for us, and we’re back together again!” He grins as he wraps an arm around her shoulders and gives her a quick sideways hug. “Did you miss me?”

He waggled his eyebrows mischievously at her, and Tessa felt her heart quicken. “Of course,” she says softly, the words coming out unbidden from her lips. 

In response, the cheeky smile slides off Scott’s face… and they stare into each other's eyes for a few poignant seconds. His seems to darken slightly, while Tessa feels her throat go dry.

Then the noise and bustle around them seeps through Tessa’s subconsciousness and Patrick shatters the charged atmosphere that was building up between them when he interrupts to clap Scott on his shoulder, and congratulate them both on their respective dances. When he finally buzzes off, it’s Suzanne’s turn to call out to the room and capture their attention. The show has moved to a commercial break and Suzanne is now trying to herd everyone down the balcony, so that Elvis can announce the results of the past week’s vote. 

Tessa slips her arm through Scott’s as they walk down the stairs and she struggles to think how she can cover up that awkward pause that just occured between them. She needs to regain her footing somehow, and as they take their positions in front of the audience and cameras, with Scott standing just behind her, Tessa says, “I’m going to miss Patch a little though. He’s been dancing a long time and he’s been great. He knows a lot.”

“A lot?” Scott has a deep furrow on his brow as he leans his head forward and down to hear her better in the bustle.

“Yes. You know he has a lot of stories and stuff… about you for example.”

“About  _ me?!” _ Scott squawks loudly. Startled and suddenly worried. 

“Through this show, and back when you were young.” Tessa nods primly, her lips twitching slightly. “He also has a lot of photos.”

_ “Photos!?!”  _ He looks horrified now. Those hazel eyes are now wide-open and his mouth falls open.  _ “What photos?!?” _

“Well, there was this one picture of you in a white shirt with like 3 big, diagonal ruffles across your chest? And then another of you wearing this zebra-ish print shirt?” 

Scott groans. So loudly that the couples positioned nearest to them (Javier and Carolina, Nathan and Piper as well as Kaetlyn and Patrick) turn to stare at him in bemusement. Scott is too busy hiding his face somewhere in the crook of her neck though, while Tessa fights the giggles threatening to bubble out of her.

_ “Why would Patch do that?”  _ he mumbles so dismally into her neck that Tessa totally loses her battle and bursts out in her girlish giggles.

“I just asked, and he pointed me towards some likely places where I could find old competition photos of everyone. He told me which were the big competitions to focus on, and there you were every year. With some very  _ interesting _ choices.”

“First of all, I was  _ never _ in charge of our outfits! That was more of my coach’s decision and my then-partner! Secondly, we do sometimes make the strategic choice to be memorable in our costumes. After all, there can easily be 20 couples on the floor competing for the judges’ attention, and sometimes we decide we want to be extra bold.” Scott shrugs, trying for nonchalance. His bottom lip pouts out defensively though, and Tessa can’t help the big grin she knows she is displaying. 

Scott can really be  _ so _ adorable sometimes. It’s no wonder she’s distracted instead of being nervous about the elimination coming up. 

She wants to reach up to caress his face and that pouting lip. But the cue comes through that the commercial break is ending, and Tessa is forcibly reminded that she and Scott are currently in front of a live studio audience and about to be televised to millions watching at home.

Tessa steadies herself and tries to refocus back on Elvis who’s welcoming back the television audience. She remains distracted though, her senses heightened by the press of Scott’s body against her. She’s leaning back, her body weight supported by Scott... And she’s almost startled when Elvis’ voice booms out, announcing that she and Scott are safe. She didn’t even process the words until Scott’s arms were wrapping around her in a backwards hug and the spotlight dims around them. Indicating to everyone that they are no longer in danger of being eliminated. 

Tessa’s heart is beating quickly again. And she knows it has nothing to do with her learning that she has another week in the competition… and everything to do with the warmth of Scott’s body pressed against her back, the feel of his breath on her skin, and the soft kiss he presses on the top of her head.

She barely even notices the actual elimination (Andrew and Tati had to say goodbye) and Scott’s excited chatter about next week’s Latin Night. She’s just happy to be with Scott, and to get another week and another dance with him.

=====

Maybe his mind is playing tricks on him, but sometimes Scott is almost certain that Tessa has feelings for him too. There are moments when he believes he’s caught her looking at him with a soft affectionate smile lingering at the corner of her lips. And his mind can’t help imagine there lies a sheen of tenderness behind those intoxicating green eyes of hers.

These thoughts fill Scott with indefinite joy. 

And then he’ll rebuke himself. 

There is no real evidence that she thinks of him as anything more than a friend. Other than what his overactive imagination conjures up for him.

So Scott will throw himself back into the Argentine Tango he is creating for them this week. Unlike Guilty Pleasures Week, he has no problems creating a passionate routine for DWTS’ Latin Night - filled with all the desire and ardor he has been hiding for Tessa the last few weeks. Perhaps as a little concession to himself (his little way of shielding his feelings from Tessa), Scott had decided not to choreograph a traditional romantic tango for them. 

But the brillant idea he had to do a sort of a Mr Mrs Smith Assassination Tango… has not made one iota of difference in the way he’s pouring his soul into their dance. Because Scott’s the kind of fool who thinks he is being subtle but is really an open book. 

He genuinely thought no one could tell his seemingly always-growing feelings for Tessa. 

And then his mother came to visit. And made it quite clear she could see through all his pretences.

There’s a big ballroom competition that occurs in LA every year during this period, and Alma Moir will always accompany her students to the competition, staying a few additional days so she can spend more time visiting Scott here. It takes her just over half an hour of watching them practice and dance in the studio before she finds an opportunity to pull Scott aside, away from the cameras. 

In typical fashion, she doesn’t hold back from her frank views on how the routine can be technically improved. 

_ [Note: Alma accepts that DWTS is a reality show and nowhere close to a proper latin dance competition, but she often deplores how basic technical steps and standards have completely disappeared in the routines of some of his fellow pros (e.g. that Paul Poirer). She always reminds Scott that while he can be as creative and innovative as he wants (she’s very proud of his Emmys for Choreography), he still needs to remember to maintain the integrity of these dances.]  _

She also asks him blatantly to his face, if he and Tessa are dating yet.

“No!” he yelps, whilst looking hurriedly around them to ensure that no one has overheard.

An arch eyebrow from his mother is his only response. It reminds him of the time he accidentally kicked a ball through old Mrs Whitby’s front window, and that other time he got caught sneaking out of the house when he was supposed to be grounded. The eyebrow seems to have the same amount of potency as back when he was nine and fifteen.

With a chagrin twist of his lips, Scott says, “It’s not like that between us. There’s no dating at all.”

The other eyebrow rises, leaving Alma Moir looking rather dissatisfied. And Scott feeling like an errant schoolboy. He’s never been great at lying to his mother.

“Though I’m not going to lie to you and pretend I don’t have some feelings for her. I just don’t know if she feels the same way, and we still have this competition to get though, so…” He babbles on, not sure how to continue.

“I think you can rest assured that she has  _ some _ feelings for you too. I like Tessa. She’s a nice girl, and perhaps you two should talk about these feelings sooner rather than later.” Alma says affectionately as she ruffles his hair back. “You’ve always managed to have good chemistry with all your dance partners. But this is different, and in my view it’s both on your end  _ and _ hers. If it makes any difference, I think you should go for it!”

Scott knows he should be mortified at having this conversation with his mother. But because he grew up training, competing and working far away from his family for so many years, he soaks in this relatively new experience of his mother giving him advice about his romantic life. He kinda relishes it (even if he may not actually follow it). The last girl Alma had ventured an opinion about had been Jessica and she had only told him to be cautious. Scott had thought it was because she was worried about them dating whilst being dance partners, but after the fallout, he always wondered if his mother had doubts about Jessica back then. 

“Also I think I want to get to know Kate Virtue better. Do you have her number?”

Scott’s jaw dropped and a rather inarticulate noise came out. 

“What?  _ Why?”  _

A maternal smirk (if there ever is such a thing) appears on Alma’s face. “I never got to know her very well over the years, and I think it’s about time I do. That’s all.”

Scott’s immediate instinct is to reply with an emphatic ‘no’. He is instinctively worried about letting the two women have any channel of communication. Who knows what his mother might say to Kate! She can be very meddlesome when she wants to be and she still brags about how his brother Charlie and his sister-in-law, Nicole, wouldn’t have gotten round to marrying and having kids if it wasn’t for her intervention. 

However it occurs to Scott that she can always get it directly from Tessa, or through various other means like the show or Suzanne, which would definitely raise more questions. And so with a sigh of resignation, he gives in. 

His mother makes her goodbyes to everyone. Having to rush off for the preliminaries of her students’ ballroom competition. 

But she leaves Scott wondering if he has indeed made a critical mistake linking Alma and Kate together. Then another part of him wonders if Tessa confides in Kate, and maybe whether Kate might tell-

_ No! _ He needs to stop going down that particular train of thought and go back to focusing on polishing the Argentine Tango with Tessa. He’s fulfilled his mother’s request for Kate’s number, and there’s no reason to think about either of them much more...

Except his conversation with his mother has suddenly brought Kate to the forefront of Scott’s mind. He knows there has been some public and fan speculation about him and Tessa since the season started. But he’s never thought about what  _ Kate _ might think about it all. 

Scott groans as he walks back to the rehearsal room. He will always be grateful to the older woman who forcibly decided he needed mothering when he first arrived in LA, but he shudders to think about what shenanigans she and his mother might get into.

“Did Alma think we have a lot of work to do?” Tessa’s concerned voice pipes up, as she tugs on the sleeve of his t-shirt to gain his attention. “I saw her pull you aside whilst I was chatting with Kaetlyn. 

“No, no…” Scott shakes his head furiously. Trying to dispel  _ those _ thoughts from his mind. “She had some constructive criticism about the steps at the end, but she thinks we are doing well.”

Tessa squints suspiciously at the last phrase, and he smiles gently down at her. For some reason, she’s been a bit anxious about their AT routine. She loves the concept as much as him, but it’s as if during their week apart, she’s shifted another gear up and become even more concerned about her technical prowess on the floor. He doesn’t know what else he can say to convince her that she’s doing so,  _ so _ well in the competition. She seems to believe he is the type of person who indulges in hyperbole all the time and that he’s just being nice when he compliments her progress. 

Scott likes to think he’s usually a nice guy and that he can be encouraging to his students. But he’s also certain no one has ever complained about him being overly easy on his students before (whether they are kids, competitive dancers, or celebrities). 

He pursues his lips together and shrugs. “She thinks you’ve got natural talent and she likes how your flexibility helps us pull off moves the other couples can’t? Like our lift and that kick you do…” And then with a laugh, he adds, “Come on, did you expect her to say like you are a terrible dancer?”

When she doesn’t reply to him, he frowns and looks down at her. “You  _ did?! _ T, I can assure you that more than half of my mother’s comments were about my choreography. She doesn’t always approve of my theatrical tendencies, you know. But in this case, she likes the concept and how we are trying to tell the story. She did give other comments about how the  _ two  _ of us can improve, which we can work on together now. But if you don’t believe me, you can ask her directly!” 

Then, he adds teasingly, “You can’t ask her for baby photos though. Because if you do, I’ll go straight to Kate and ask her for yours!” 

She replies with a shamefaced smile and swats him on the arm, before her expression settles into something more serious. “Fine, I get the point. And I do believe you. Sort of. It’s just… you know I get in my head sometimes and have these doubts...”

“I do know. But you really are one of my favourite partners of all time though, T and it’s not just because we are friends.” Scott says as sincerely as he can. He doesn’t dare tell her she pretty much tops his list at this point, and that he’s even wondered what it would have been like if they had paired together as partners when they were young. 

He bets they would have gone all the way, and that they would be world champions by now. They might still even be competing, because he can’t imagine not wanting to dance with Tessa for as long as he possibly can.

Scott suspects Tessa won’t believe him if he voices these thoughts though. And he wonders what she would think if he ever hints to her about the feelings he has developed for her. Would she not believe him on that too?

Lost in his thoughts, he doesn’t realise that Tessa is similarly preoccupied by something. And that it takes more minutes than expected for them to settle back into rehearsal.

===== 

Ok, Tessa likes Alma Moir a lot. The older woman is warm, friendly and caring, bakes some of the best cookies Tessa has ever eaten in her life, and most amusingly, is able to keep Scott in line. 

But Tessa couldn’t help feeling self-conscious about her dance technique whenever the older woman was around. After all, according to Patch, at least half the pros on the show have taken some kind of lesson from her before. And since she is both Scott’s mother and his first dance instructor, it was always going to be extra unnerving to have the veteran dance teacher in the same room as them. Tessa is very well aware of her own insecurities in life and in this competition, so it really wasn’t surprising that she had been flustered by Alma’s presence in rehearsals and in the studio.

But their Assassination Tango is all done and accompished now (Marie-France had adored how sleek, sexy and dangerous it was and they had gotten a 10 out of her)... and yet Tessa  _ still _ thinks she can feel Alma’s eyes on her. Watching her. Maybe even  _ assessing _ her.

Even after Tracy Wilson and Jeremy went home (it was about time given the consistent low scores the couple had been getting), and their little group had left the studio to enjoy their usual post-show late dinner… Tessa continues to feel as if Alma is deliberately scrutinising her. In fact, Jordan had commented about it just before they left, when the sisters had gone to the restroom to freshen up. According to Jordan, Alma had sat with the Virtues during the show, and she had been paying particular attention to Tessa all throughout (both pre-and-post dance).  _ [Note: The plus point is apparently Alma thought the AT had been danced very nicely and had praised Tessa’s legs as being quite good.] _

It’s also been somewhat surprising to see how friendly Alma and her mother have become. Tessa knew their two mothers had met up, but she hadn’t expected to discover that through several meals and conversations over a few days, the two women had become such fast friends! Currently, the two of them are chatting away as if they’ve known each other for decades. For example, talking about the difficulty of raising multiple children in the 90s (in front of said children), and exchanging notes and photos about their grandchildren.

Unfortunately, Jordan couldn’t join them for dinner as she had to prepare for an early morning meeting. So somehow, it’s just Tessa, Scott and their mothers tonight. And frankly, it makes Tessa worried. And rather uncomfortable.

Their moms will seem absorbed in their own private conversation, leaving Tessa and Scott plenty of opportunity to converse on their own stuff together. And then suddenly, there will be silence on the other side of the table. Looking up, Tessa and Scott will find themselves the target of speculative gleams and smiles. Sometimes even laughter.

“When exactly did this happen?” She leans forward to whisper to Scott, as she gesticulates towards their two moms. “It’s like they are kindred spirits who have just found each other. It’s been like this  _ all night!” _

He only shrugs sheepishly, and flushes pink. “I have no clue. Mom just asked if she could have Kate’s number… and I didn’t think it was a big deal!”

“It’s not a big deal!” Tessa exclaims. Now it’s her turn to flush. “I just find it a bit weird, that’s all. Don’t you find it… I don’t know… a little  _ weird _ or something?”

“Oh yes, definitely weird and unexpected.” Scott pauses, struggling to figure out what to say next. “But it’s good that they’re friends. I mean Mom works a lot, so… um…”

Neither of them want to address the real elephant in the room. Which is other than becoming best buddies, drinking far too much and talking nine to a dozen about various random topics, both mothers also have been making randomly awkward remarks directed at Tessa and Scott all through dinner. 

For example, in the middle of their discourse about their respective grandchildren, Alma pointedly mentioned how Scott is her youngest, and her only son who isn’t married and giving her grandchildren. Then Kate would nod understandingly and reply how only Casey has Poppy, and how her three remaining children seem determined to not settle down and have a family.  _ [Note: Tessa tried to interrupt here and defend her brother Kevin who is married. But it was for naught.]  _

In the middle of updating everyone about her latest fashion line, Kate had also rambled off course, and started to counsel Tessa and Scott about how it’s good to have drive and be career-minded, but they shouldn’t forget to stop and smell the roses once in a while. Alma then picked up the point by mentioning how she never even noticed Joe (her eventual husband and Scott’s dad) for over two years because she was so busy competing. 

It could all be very innocent. But Tessa thinks it  _ very _ unlikely. 

Not when they are so obviously exchanging “sneaky” glances with one another. Honestly, it isn’t very subtle at all. You would think it's a fun game being played by the two mothers. A let’s-poke-some-fun-at-our-kids-and-see-if-we-can-embarass-them game.

While she and Scott are trying their very best to not be party to it. To ignore all the not-so-subtle insinuations. 

When Kate jokes (at least Tessa hopes she’s joking) about how their rumba actually gave her heart palpitations when it started, but that in the end, she loved how sexy and sensual Tessa and Scott made it, Tessa finds herself shifting uncomfortably in her seat.

She desperately wants to grab Scott’s hand in solidarity. But that would probably be the worst thing she could do now. It would only add fuel to the flame. The flame of meddlesome mothers who like to tease their children, and perhaps even worse, are trying to  _ matchmake _ them?

The mere notion of this is  _ mortifying _ to Tessa. She can’t imagine what Scott is thinking right now, through this fiasco. 

She really hopes Scott doesn’t believe she put her mother up to it. Kate has never teased them so much before. It was usually Tessa’s wretched siblings who enjoyed doing so, and as the youngest himself, Scott always seemed to understand that it was the natural plight they shared as the babies of their families.

Having Kate suddenly behave in this zealous manner, seemingly in cahoots with Alma, is almost inconceivable. Except that she and Scott are suffering through it at this very moment.

It’s only when a slightly sloppy Kate queries about the virility of Scott to Alma (both on and off the dance floor), that Scott finally flinches violently and leaps to his feet. Calling for the bill with a frantic wave of his hand and practically throwing his credit card at the staff who comes by.

“Okay, it’s getting late and I think we should call it a night! How about I drive our mothers back, T?”

“No, no…” Alma jumps in, with a too-wide smile. “You should drive  _ Tessa _ back. It’s good for you to  _ talk _ and  _ drive _ together. Right, Kate? Kate can drop me off at the hotel.” Kate just nods, very vigorously.

“Um, both of you are not in any shape to drive.” Tessa interjects firmly. A quick glance at Scott shows he agrees with her wholeheartedly as they look in dismay at the two petite older women, who are swaying slightly. Clutching each other and giggling like little girls.

“They only had like two margaritas each! How did they get high so fast?” Tessa asks Scott anxiously.

Scott sighs heavily as he and Tessa work to guide their respective mothers out of the restaurant. “Mom sometimes sneaks a flask into the studio. Especially if she’s coming over from a competition and has to deal with too many dance moms. She also says filming of the live show takes so long that she likes to get a headstart on dinner drinks. She must have been in a sharing mood.”

“Alma told me! So I brought my own flask too!” Kate declares with a happy grin as she clings to Tessa’s neck. “And I shared too!”

“Oh dear.” Tessa groans. “They must have been mixing their alcohol all night!” She exchanges a helpless look with Scott, who’s half carrying his mother. Alma must have imbibed more than Kate, because she is fading fast.

“I think we better split up and deal with our own” Scott grins at Tessa, his eyes crinkled around the edges. “I’m glad they had a fun night though, and became good friends.”

The exasperation and embarrassment that Tessa was previously facing, disappeared in light of that grin. It was amusing to see their mothers as the younger women they might have been, and to have her and Scott have to look after them in this contrary way.

“I’m a bit worried about the mischief these two might get into when they are in New York together!” Tessa replies with her own grin as she makes reference to Kate’s upcoming fashion show at New York Fashion Week, and how delighted the two had been when Alma had realised that she would be in the city around the same time for another of those big ballroom competitions.

“I’ll drop a line to Danny that he should watch her.” Scott replies. “He usually travels with her for that one since it’s closer to Ilderton.”

He opens his mouth and then shuts it again. Appearing to want to say more, but unsure.

When Kate suddenly pipes in, “You should kiss her. She definitely wants you to.”

Tessa literally squeaks and flushes scarlet. She can feel the burning in her ears and her neck, and is certain she’s about to expire from acute humiliation. 

Thankfully, just then their respective cars pull up alongside the curb outside the restaurant, and Tessa makes a leap towards the valet getting out of her car. She mumbles a hurried goodbye to the Moirs, unable to look at either in the eye, and hustles her mother quickly into the passenger seat.

She drives off as quickly as she possibly can. And absolutely refuses to look into the rearview mirror to see what Scott’s expression might be.

  
  


*****

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no idea why, but whenever I think of Kate Virtue and Alma Moir together, I always see them with glasses of alcohol in their hands, and them shaking their heads in tandem at the mutual idiocy of their children. Sometimes it’s a glass of wine, but in this chapter, it’s margaritas. I envision them at a Mexican restaurant (perfect carb-loading for hungry VM after the live show), and the two mothers enjoying some delicious margaritas as they tease Tessa and Scott. 
> 
> Alma was supposed to show up this chapter, but I had no idea she and Kate would decide to become sloppy drunks together. I just think of them as two smart, successful women, who are very proud of the achievements of their similarly smart and successful children, and yet exasperated at Tessa and Scott’s complete inaction when faced with someone who is clearly the perfect match for them. They bonded over this and other things, and somehow during this dinner, they had way too much fun drinking together.


	8. Waltzing Together in Perfect Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time for some Umbrellas in Cherbourg! Honestly, this fic was the perfect excuse for me to reimagine some of my favourite VM routines on the dance floor. 
> 
> It was still hell trying to narrow down the picks though, and anyone familiar with ballroom dances will know the routines don’t really fit the timing perfectly. But that’s the best part of fanfic, you can ignore all of that! [Note: after all, DWTS does it all the time! =P]

If Tessa could have quit DWTS without any fear of damage to her professional reputation, she probably would have. After all, it’s probably the best way of ensuring she would never have to meet Scott again. And more fundamentally, she would never have to look Scott in the eye as he asks her about what Kate let slip last night.

Unfortunately, avoiding him for the rest of her life seems rather unfeasible. Neither is the concept of staying in bed all day, shielded from the world by her covers. _Nope_ , not when she has practice with Scott every day and an iron-clad contract with DWTS that obligates her to appear on the live show every week until she either reaches the finals or is kicked off. 

Separately, Tessa has heard through the grapevine that her bosses at the network are very happy with her stint on the show thus far. Apparently, she has really great approval ratings, and talk is circulating that she might be in a short list of candidates the network is looking at to helm a new talk show! So if Tessa does skip practice today (or even worse, a few days), she could really screw things up there. Word would eventually filter back to senior management about how unreliable she can be, and she might lose the slender shot she has now. 

Most importantly, quitting DWTS doesn’t take into account how Tessa still really, _really_ wants to win the competition. 

So exhaling slowly to steady her nerves, Tessa pushes open the door and enters the room as quietly as she can. She finds Scott already waltzing around the place, choreographing a new dance for them. 

Based on his faraway expression as he throws an arm gracefully in the air and does some fancy footwork spin thingy once he reaches one end of the room, Tessa quickly realises Scott is in an oblivious world of his own. He is too preoccupied figuring out intricacies only visible in his head, to question her about anything Kate might have said or done last night.

With a sigh of relief, she drops her gym bag near the doorway and leans down to speak to one of the crew in the room, Eric, a cameraman who is fiddling with some equipment. “He looks totally absorbed. How long has he been here?” Tessa indicates to Scott with a flick of her thumb.

“He came in pretty early. Earlier than Meagan and I when we came in to set up for everyone.”

As the music track ends and loops over again, Scott continues to glide smoothly across the rehearsal space and Tessa checks her watch. Practice doesn’t officially start for another five minutes, so she has no qualms taking some extra time to herself here. 

“What’s the song this week? It’s pretty, and sounds quite familiar.” She asks Meagan, the AD helping organise things in the building today. 

Meagan checks the clipboard she always goes about with. “It’s from this French movie called The Umbrellas of Cherbourg? Scott has been putting a request for it for a few seasons now, and we finally got the rights for the original tune. I recall Management used to not be very supportive of non-English songs on the show, but Scott can be very convincing.” Meagan chuckles. “Especially when it’s a creative thing. He was really happy when I told him it came through. He said he thought it would be perfect for you.”

The song has continued playing over the sound system, and Tessa can easily recognise how beautiful and romantic it is, even though her French is super rusty and she can barely understand the lyrics. Just as she is thinking about its lightness and playful charm, Scott suddenly slides up from behind her. He quickly pulls her into the proper ballroom dance hold, and sweeps her off her feet.

Tessa stumbles a bit as she follows Scott in a dance she has not even learned yet. However Scott is such a strong lead and Tessa must have picked up something from her past weeks of training, because they still manage to waltz about fairly competently. It may not be very smooth-going, but when Scott says “Isn’t this a wonderful song? Let’s just ease into the music, and not care about any of the steps right now!”, Tessa finds herself relaxing into this spontaneous whirl around the room. 

It’s fun to just dance and not have to worry about technique or judges’ scores. And it’s always wonderful to be in Scott’s arms.

After about a minute passes, Scott suddenly gives her a wink and Tessa instinctively knows what he’s going to do next. He pulls her into a lift the two of them have been practising for some time, and she soars in the air above him, her arms spread out like a ballerina’s. Until someone is finally able to convince her to go skydiving, it’s probably the closest Tessa has ever felt to flying.

By the time the track ends, she’s smiling from ear-to-ear and her heart is about two sizes larger. “The track really is lovely, and it was so fun! I presume you want to include that lift into the actual routine?”

“Oh definitely! I think it fits really well, don’t you?” Scott replies excitedly, before he rambles on about a dozen other ideas he has for their routine. They exchange views for a bit, and then rehearsal starts in earnest as they dive immediately into working on her technique for Umbrellas. 

Tessa gets so caught up with the new dance, that she completely forgets to worry about the night before. It does return momentarily during one of their breaks during group rehearsal, when she’s chatting with Kaetlyn and the younger girl asks Tessa about her family who always comes to watch the show. However, Tessa is able to easily shoo it away. After all, there’s been no indication today that Scott has taken any notice of Kate’s horribly revealing statement. He must have been too busy trying to handle _his_ drunk mother to have heard what _her_ drunk mother said.

_[Note: This week, all couples have to perform two dances. The remaining contestants have been split into two groups through a schoolyard pick by the two highest individual cumulative scorers on the show thus far, Michelle and Tessa. Tessa had ended up picking her two favourite girls, Kaityln and Kaetlyn, for her team. Though she had wanted to pick Jeffrey as well, Michelle had selected him before she could do so.]_

That evening, Scott comes over to her place for the latest episode of the Michael Jordan and Chicago Bulls documentary series they’ve been watching together. He brings along the most delicious bibimbap that Tessa has ever tasted, and she spends pretty much the entire meal raving about it to him. It’s so tasty that she not only gets him to give her the address of the Korean restaurant he got it from, she also starts to spontaneously sing “Bibimbap!” to the tune of “Dirty Pop!” every time she refers to the dish during their meal.

Scott finds it extremely amusing and spends half the time doubled over laughing. But Tessa doesn’t mind. In fact, she starts to dance a little jig to it just to make him laugh even more. 

It’s not until after they’ve finished watching the episode though, that Tessa realises she can’t entirely escape the drunkenness of their mothers from the night before. Tessa is just wondering whether she should go get refills for their wine glasses, when Scott abruptly turns to her and says, “So last night? That was wild, right? Mom texted me this morning, and apparently she had quite the killer hangover!”

Tessa chuckles. “I spoke to my mother during lunch and she’s been suffering too. She says she’s not had a hangover this bad since she was in college!”

Scott gives her a grin in return. “Sadly, I think my mother has a much more recent and worse track record. She and my aunt like to finish a bottle of wine or two whenever Nationals are over. It’s a chance to celebrate the end of the season, before the entire cycle starts all over again. Danny tells me they got completely smashed a few years back celebrating their escape from a particularly potent batch of dance moms!”

They continue to swap a few more stories about the (non-drunk) antics of their mothers, when Scott suddenly says, “So... are we ignoring what your mother said last night?”

It’s as if a bomb just dropped in Tessa’s neat world and scattered all the pieces around. She opens her mouth, but has no idea what to say in reply.

“I wasn’t sure if Kate was so drunk that she made things up. But just so you know... I really wanted to kiss you then as well.”

Tessa’s jaw drops every further and it honestly feels as if her brain slows down, taking much longer than necessary for her to properly proces his words. For a few seconds, she even contemplates the possibility that _she_ made the words up in her head and projected them onto _him!_

But as Tessa gazes up into Scott’s earnest eyes, she’s fixated on how they have darkened from their usual hazel colour. His lips are parted as well, like he has a lot more that he wants to say, but is hesitating for some reason. Then her gaze is diverted to Scott’s chest, which rises hypnotically as he takes in those deep breaths. And then she’s back to studying his face, and she notices him lick those sensual lips of his in a hurried fashion, as if nervous. 

Tessa observes all of his movements in an almost dazed, detached manner. In the aftermath of his declaration, it’s the most she can do. 

You can’t blame a girl from trying to absorb it all when it sounds like her dreams are coming true.

===== 

As Scott waits for her all-important reply, he feels his heart thudding with ridiculous frenzy. 

He had spent all night wondering if he should even bring the subject up today. On one hand, Tessa had seemed so flustered, that it lent credence to what Kate had said. But on the other hand, Scott recognised that Tessa could also have been thrown if the statement was untrue. People always react extra awkwardly when their parents do anything embarrassing. And what Kate said, true or false, would _definitely_ fall under the embarrassing category.

After a restless night, where he had tossed and turned, debating with himself whether he could or should ask Tessa directly about it, Scott finally gave up. 

As soon as dawn broke, he left his apartment and made a beeline to the gym to sweat it all out. Then when he was done and it was still way too early for rehearsal, Scott went straight to the studio to start choreography for Umbrellas. He had been pumped to receive the last minute text from Meagan updating him that the song had cleared. And he knew throwing himself into the routine was the only way he could take his mind off from last night.

It had worked. Mostly.

For the rest of the day, he had been immersed with the dance and much too busy to be distracted by anything else. Like thoughts about Tessa wanting to kiss him, and him wanting to kiss her.

Up until about half an hour ago, Scott was successful in pushing _most_ of those pesky thoughts to the back of his mind.

Then as Scott was relaxing on the couch next to Tessa, suddenly all he could think about was the possibility of spending the next twenty years with her in this manner. Just sitting on a couch, and knowing she would be beside him. And that if he wanted to, he could just reach over to kiss her, or delicately caress her soft skin. Once that image got stuck in his head, he couldn’t shake it loose.

He recalls the plot of Umbrellas of Cherbourg and how the main couple had been tragically torn apart because of miscommunication and bad timing. And Scott doesn’t want the same thing to happen with him and Tessa. He doesn’t want to miss his chance just because he was too fretful to ask her a simple question or tell her about his own feelings. 

Yes, his previous argument against saying anything to her is still relevant. Telling Tessa about his romantic feelings would be unprofessional and it could negatively affect the rest of their competition together. However, there’s nothing professional about what he’s feeling for Tessa _right now._ And it has to be better to have it all out in the open, than to let it boil over and spill into something much more chaotic. 

If it turns out he misinterpreted everything, he will just have to apologise and assure her it’s just a crush. That she won’t have to worry about him bringing up the subject again.

And then Scott will move on. Because he’ll have to.

But on the off chance that he’s not wrong... Surely the upshot of that, is worth the risk?!

Scott realises however, that Tessa still hasn’t replied to him. And his hopes grow dimmer by the second. 

He rushes to now reassure her and mend things. “I just wanted you to know that I have romantic feelings for you, and it’s been happening for quite some time now. But I’m your friend, first and foremost. And your partner too. So if you don’t feel the same way, you don’t have to worry about it. I won’t mention it again and we can just focus on the competition.”

Instinctively, he reaches out to take her hand. But he stops and pulls back. It’s probably the last thing she wants if she’s about to reject him... 

To his surprise, Tessa reaches forward to grasp _his_ hand instead.

“Mom’s right! I’ve been wanting to kiss you for weeks now. I’ve had a crush on you since the start of the show!” The words come tumbling out of Tessa in a rush. 

Scott had to lean slightly forward again to try and catch her mumbled words. And when he does comprehend what she’s saying, hope swiftly blossoms within him again.

“Really?!” He gasps, his heart racing even quickly as she gives a little shy nod in response. He can see a lovely, delicious pink flush creeping up her neck that he just yearns to nuzzle and press his lips to.

Part of Scott wants to lunge forward and gather her into his arms, but he controls his exuberance. Just because he’s exhilarated and over the moon, doesn’t mean he should frighten her off with overexcitement!

There’s also something wonderful about holding both of Tessa’s hands in this quiet, meaningful manner. He’s held and touched Tessa so many times in the context of their dance routines. But this simple handhold… is _so_ much more significant. Tessa cares for him back, and it makes his heart skip a beat and his feet want to break out in a celebratory dance.

“Wow… I didn’t think. I mean, I had hoped but I didn’t know…” Scott stutters in astonishment and happinesses as Tessa lets out a tiny, delightful giggle at his incoherence. 

It sparks off a thrill racing up his body, and he blurts out almost boyishly, “Can I? I mean, may I?” 

With a soft smile, Tessa allows him to cradle her cheek gently. And when he swoops in for that long-awaited kiss, she’s right there. Raising her head to meet him in that incredible moment.

Their first kiss is chaste, sweet and tender. The stuff of romance and daydreams. An affirmation that the idyll understanding they have wandered into, is real.

The one that follows immediately after however, is eager and passionate. Filled with ardor and fireworks!

By the time the two of them are able to pull themselves away from that second kiss, they are both panting for air. Completely reluctant to let each other go. So they end up with their foreheads pressed gently together, and it soon becomes apparent that even their breathing has synced up together.

Scott has never been in such bliss before.

“Hi.” She finally says to him, in the most adorable manner. 

“Hi, back.” He responds with probably the most dopey expression that has ever appeared on his face. 

She does her little laugh again. And it’s the most indescribable, incandescent sound he’s ever heard. 

Then Tessa turns those gorgeous green eyes on him again, and chews on that sexy lower lip of hers… and Scott can’t help it. He dives in for another kiss.

=====

“I don’t understand how you’ve remained so cheerful these last few days!” Kaitlyn whines to Tessa as they sit on the floor in the corner of the rehearsal room, watching their male pro partners re-choreograph another segment of their group dance. “Preparing for two dances this week is killing me! Even our little pop star from a girl group that dances all the time here is stressed,” she flicks her head to Kaetlyn beside her. “She always has that slight furrow etched on her brow whenever I see her.”

Kaetlyn bats away the comment, giving the blonde a small acknowledging chuckle. While Tessa has to control the giddy laugh bubbling up in her. Trying to learn two separate dances has been extremely taxing on her brain and body as well. At this point, everyone has been dancing at least 6 hours a day, every day, for about nine weeks now. It’s no wonder, all the celebrities are feeling bruised and battered. Exhausted both physically and mentally. 

But any exhaustion Tessa feels this week, has been vanquished by sheer happiness. The last few days have been wonderful. After so many weeks of uncertainty, she and Scott are starting a relationship together. It’s therefore not a surprise _everyone_ can discern her happiness, when she’s practically floating on cloud nine. 

She and Scott are trying to take things slow and keep their new status on the down low though, since the last thing they want is for the producers or public scrutiny to mess with their budding romance. It’s already kinda crazy how people are invested in their dance partnership on the show, and they don’t want to add pressure to something so new and precious to them. 

Although they’ve been keeping their relationship quiet from everyone, it’s also been fun and exciting when they are able to sneak little moments together at work. Scott has choreographed an almost kiss into their Umbrellas routine. However, any time he knows the angle of the cameras can’t catch them, Scott will sneakily steal an actual kiss from her. Sending Tessa’s heart into a tailspin. She’s come to eagerly anticipate that part of the dance everytime they practice it now. 

Scott has also taken to pulling her into the stairwell for a minute or two, as it is an excellent place for them to avoid the rest of the cast and crew milling about this building. They went up to the roof once to eat their lunch in private, but it’s not the best spot since it is a popular place for the camera crew to shoot video packages. And whenever Tessa finds herself emboldened, she finds herself surreptitiously threading her fingers through his or pressing their legs together under the table. 

Frankly, they both can’t keep their hands off one another, and she wonders how much longer they can keep things a secret, before someone accidentally stumbles upon them in the stairwell or something.

“All I know is we made it two-thirds through the competition, and though I’m having loads of fun, I’m sure my body will be very grateful once it all ends.” Tessa says, trying to move the subject away from her unseemly happiness. 

“Ha!” Kaetlyn declares with aplomb. “I’m glad my stamina is increasing, especially since my group is going on tour soon and I’ll be fighting fit and ready this time. But I have to admit this show is so much tougher than I thought. I can’t believe we have four more weeks to go! That’s like a whole month!”

“Maybe for the two of you,” Kaitlyn interjects. “I doubt I’ll have to last that long. Stephane doesn’t outrightly say it, but I can tell we have little to no shot of making it to the finals. You two, Michelle, Javier, Nathan are probably fighting for those three slots. While poor Jeffrey and I have been lurking at the bottom of the scoreboard for several weeks now. It’s just a matter of time for us.”

Both Tessa and Kaetlyn jump in to try and dispel Kaitlyn’s pessimism. But Kaitlyn seemed openly accepting and resigned about her scores. She reassures them she’s having fun, but she really doesn’t want to progress into learning _three_ dances a week.

“This group number of ours is really strong though.” Kaetlyn says. “I really like Sway and the club concept is so awesome. If we win, we will have a leg up on our combined scores!” 

“Yes, they say the person eliminated is rarely from the winning team! And I agree with Kaetlyn that we have a great shot of winning,” Tessa says. And then in a louder voice, meant to travel across the room, she adds, “If only the guys would just finish choreographing it so that we could practise it properly!”

Scott catches her sarcastic tone immediately and responds with a cheeky grin. “We’re just about done! We want to incorporate the tables and chairs more in the dance, so that even when each couple is doing their solo segment, the other couples are an integral part of the background. It’ll look like it’s straight out of a scene from a movie!” 

“You know, I never thought much about it.” Kaitlyn mutters quietly to Tessa. “But Scott is like the most energetic of the pros. How do you deal with all that enthusiasm!”

Tessa turns to look at Scott, who’s now demonstrating some ridiculous backbend and feminine-like arm flourish to Stephane and Patrick. Probably trying to emulate some step he wants the three girls to do in the dance. And she stifles an affectionate laugh. “Theoretically, it can be rather annoying sometimes trying to keep up with an energizer bunny. But I think it helps motivate me actually! He also has the ability to make even the worst days of practice fun! 

As she watches Scott across the room, he catches her eye and throws a mischievous wink at her. Then he exaggeratedly blows her a kiss. Openly for the rest of the couples to see.

Tessa can only smile and shake her head in amusement. Anyone watching will take it for another of his goofy jokes, but she adores how unabashedly affectionate he is and how in many ways their relationship has not changed that much from before. 

It’s how she knows this relationship is so much better and special from anything she’s ever experienced before. For example, she still enjoys working and rehearsing with Scott all day, despite all the time they’ve been spending together in the evenings and nights. Also she’s never experienced this simultaneous comfort and thrill during a relationship before. There already exists this ease of being around one of her best friends, but there’s also the flutter of excitement and that swoop in her stomach whenever he looks at her or brushes his arm against her, or nuzzles into the crook of her neck... 

Plus, that energy Kaitlyn was referring to? It comes very handy during the after-work segment of their relationship!

=====

Patrick squints as he studies the strong eye-flirting action happening between Scott and Tessa. 

He knows he’s supposed to be helping with the group choreography but honestly, Scott has it covered. Everyone knows Scott is brilliant at it, and that he’ll probably bring their team to victory (again). Patrick can’t even remember the last time the team group dance Scott was involved in had lost on the show. It’s an extremely good track record he and Stephane are planning to rely on this week. 

Also Patrick is more distracted (and really impressed) by how seamlessly Scott is able to multitask this evening. Scott is not only able to choreograph and convey his views and ideas to Patrick and Stephane, he’s also able to sneak flirtatious glances at Tessa half the time! 

Obviously, Patrick doesn’t get the opportunity to observe Tessa and Scott’s normal practices, so he’s planning to make as much use of this group session as he possibly can. What Patrick is pondering on now, is whether those glances are most intense than before. Or if their frequency has risen and therefore _means_ something.

Patrick has known Scott for a long, _long_ time. They’re practically best buds on the show since the two of them grew up in the circuit together and they joined DWTS around the same time. Therefore, of all the pros, celebrities, crew who are involved in the Virtuemoir dating pool, he really should have the advantage and inside track on what’s happening between Tessa and Scott! 

But he heard from Jeremy (who’s organising the pool) that Marie-France had changed her bet to this week! And if there is anyone who has sneaky magical powers and the ability of finding out about a secret relationship between Tessa and Scott, Marie-France is the person he’d be watching out for.

So Patrick frowns as he watches Scott waggle his eyebrows at Tessa. The frown deepens further as Scott winks at her and even throws her a kiss! But then, it disappears again as he recalls how Scott and Tessa have been behaving ridiculously like this for weeks now! None of these behaviours are actually new. Furthermore, the more Patrick deliberates, the more he focuses on the fact that Marie-France is a judge. Which means she probably has the least amount of contact with Tessa and Scott as compared with the rest of the participants in the pool… 

Patrick shakes his head firmly. No. The more he thinks about it, the more he’s certain that his original bet still holds. Nothing will happen till the finals. 

He knows his best friend fairly well, and Scott can be impulsive. Given how firmly in denial Scott seems to be, finals is the exact kind of atmosphere that could potentially induce Scott to finally make a move on Tessa.

Until then, Patrick and the rest of the DWTS cast and crew will just have to watch this weird platonic limbo that Tessa and Scott insist on dancing around in.

  
  


*****

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you thought it was abrupt for Patrick to rear his head suddenly and demand some real estate in my fanfiction, I just want to say I understand completely. I have no idea why it happened, but he just wanted to.


	9. Time for Classical Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jordan has decided it’s her turn to make an appearance.

Jordan squints as she takes a closer look at her laptop and those Umbrellas of Cherbourg and Sway screenshots from last night’s DWTS show. Then before she realises it, she’s spent over an hour replaying past clips of Tessa and Scott from the show - their actual dance routines, their pre-dance video packages, and any snippets she can find of them being circulated online or on social media.

She knows it’s obsessive and she should be mortified for stalking her little sister this way. But she just can’t help herself! 

Jordan’s absolutely certain something must have changed between Tessa and Scott. Because there’s  _ no way _ normal platonic friends look at each other like this. It doesn’t matter whether they are performing on the dancefloor or sitting across each other at a restaurant table, Jordan  _ knows _ there’s real chemistry and feelings between those looks Tessa and Scott keep exchanging.

And she can’t believe that Tessa is still insisting she’s just friends with Scott! It’s like Tessa is completely ignoring the fact that Jordan knows Tessa better than anyone else in the world. Jordan has been  _ right _ there in the audience for every single show this season. And last night... it was as clear as the nose on her face that something had changed between the two of them. 

There was definitely something  _ different  _ when Tessa and Scott were dancing their Umbrellas routine. Everyone and anyone watching could discern the quality of the routine: Marie-France called it flawless despite the difficulty of the steps and transitions, Brian deemed it beautiful and superb, and Kurt stated it took his breath away and declared it his favourite dance all season. Hence it really wasn’t surprising that Tessa and Scott’s Umbrellas routine became the first perfect score of the season. 

However, while watching the two of them waltz around the floor, Jordan was more distracted by the stars she thought she could glimpse in their eyes. It was like watching an old fashioned film reel of a real couple falling in love. There was nothing fake about that performance at all. And then, when they proceeded to perform Sway in that group routine? Jordan could tell that Tessa and Scott remained genuinely absorbed and smitten with one another throughout the entire dance. Even when they were just sitting at some table in the background of the stage, while their other teammates had their own solo segments.

For weeks now, Jordan has had her fair share of speculative moments. Nonetheless, when Tessa had continued to dismiss all her conjecture (with increasing exasperation), Jordan had believed her. Because Tessa is Tessa, and her little sister is just the type to insist on not mixing work with pleasure, and therefore successfully hiding her head in the sand about her insane chemistry with Scott.

But  _ last night, _ Jordan’s spidey senses had gone all tingly and suspicious. And these screenshots are all photographic evidence that seem to support Jordan’s belief that something must have  _ finally _ happened between those two oblivious idiots. 

So figuring that the direct approach is always best, she grabs her phone and texts Tessa to join her for lunch the next day.

Jordan’s determined to get some answers.

* 

“Ok don’t deny it. Something has finally happened with Scott, right? Tell me everything!” Jordan demands with folded arms, the second she sits down at the table Tessa had been patiently waiting. 

Tessa finds herself sputtering out the mouthful of water she just took. And as she gasps and tries to wipe away the water she just dribbled all over herself, Jordan keeps blathering on. 

“I mean, I had believed you before when you were trying to remain genuinely ignorant about your sparks with Scott. But last night, you two were  _ all over _ each other! Both on and off the dance floor!  _ I know _ because I was watching you the whole night and  _ I can tell! _ Also at dinner, you both were trying so hard to act like everything was fine and dandy. That it was practically a huge billboard sign screaming out that you two were hiding something!”

_ “Nothing is going on!”  _ Tessa finds herself squealing in a panic. It was pure instinct and she cringes at how high her voice had come out. 

“Ha! You squeaked! You’ve never been a very good liar, especially to me! Remember when you visited me in college and spilled wine all over the denim jacket you ‘borrowed’ from me? You ended up squeaking like a rusty hinge!”

Tessa rolls her eyes at this old argument. “Someone totally bumped into me! And whether I’m a good liar or not, why do you keep harping about Scott and I?! You usually have a busy love life and have better things to do to care so much about mine!”

“That’s because you are a workaholic, baby sister… and despite the fact that the show is still work, you are clearly having the time of your life! And I can tell that’s very much because of Scott and all the fun you’ve been having together! You really think I wouldn’t notice this  _ thing  _ you have going with Scott? A blind person could notice it!!” Jordan says, throws her hands up in an exaggerated fashion.

Part of Tessa wants to refute Jordan, but for some reason, she also feels tempted to share the new change in her relationship with her sister. Then before Tessa even realises it… the words come gushing out.

“Actually, Scott and I are together.” Startled by the slip of her tongue, Tessa’s hand inadvertently comes up to cover her mouth. But it’s too late. She can immediately see the immense glee surfacing on Jordan’s face and so moving into containment mode, Tessa follows up her blurted announcement with a hissed, “But it’s really new and we are trying to keep it a secret.”

“Oh my god… really?! I didn’t expect you to actually admit it!” Jordan grins like a Cheshire Cat and even starts clapping her hands together like an overeager cheerleader. And then her brow furrows. “Wait, so were you actually planning on keeping this fact from me?  _ Me?  _ Your wonderful and favourite sibling?! Why wouldn’t you trust me! And why so hush-hush?”

“Come on, you know what the show is like and how the press has been. The last thing we want is that kind of attention when we are starting something new together. And this is really,  _ really _ new. And you are not always very trustworthy!”

“Well I’m happy for you both. But I’m just saying, wouldn’t that kind of attention help you win the competition and probably help you get that talk show?” Jordan quirks her mouth to one side and waggles her eyebrows. “Also, I resent the notion that I can’t keep a secret.”

“We don’t want to win that way!” Tessa replies, with a resigned sigh. “Plus, we want to keep it quiet... Just for us, you know? There’s already so much speculation, and it’s kinda weird? I don’t know why people care so much.”

“Because you two are  _ hot?  _ And everyone loves to watch two young, beautiful people fall in love in front of their eyes?” Jordan laughs. “I say embrace it and don’t be too bothered about the attention. Just enjoy yourself during this competition and do whatever you want! People are going to still speculate no matter what. So unless you decide to actually confirm their suspicions, nothing is going to change!”

“Perhaps… it’s just kinda odd, you know? Joannie actually mentioned fans have ‘paired’ Scott up with lots of his partners on the show before. Especially the more single/age-appropriate ones… but Scott’s never really noticed the talk before. Until this season. But he says he thinks it seems a lot louder than usual.”

Jordan’s jaw drops. “You’re kidding right? Haven’t you both been following social media? Like  _ everyone _ is talking about you two! People who don’t even watch the show or know anything about dancing are paying attention to you two and discussing you around water coolers! DWTS probably hasn’t had so much press outside the show since it first started!” 

“My schedule’s been hectic these last few weeks!” Tessa defends herself. Not only does she film The View in the mornings five days a week, before going straight into rehearsals, but she also has other work obligations such as a new campaign being launched to help empower women. Therefore outside of posts related directly to her work or her endorsements, she really has no time to explore social media deeply. Not when she rather spend her limited spare time with Scott or her family. 

“Alright! Clearly I need to send you and Scott a few links!” 

Tessa watches as the smirk on Jordan’s face grows, and she can’t help wishing her sister wasn’t so smug and satisfied about her and Scott. It’s very disconcerting. Then she remembers the early point she made about trustworthiness. “By the way, when I say we are trying to keep it a secret, what I mean is no one knows but you. So you can’t tell anyone! Especially not our mothers!”

“Aw come on! They’re like besties now and they adore you both! They’d be so delighted! Why would you want to keep such wonderful news from them!”

“Jordan!” Tessa folds her arms and glares at her sister. “If either of them get a whiff of me and Scott I’m blaming you for the leak!” 

“Are you kidding me?” Jordan scoffs loudly. “That’s totally unrealistic! If I can see things have changed between you and Scott, surely you don’t think the mothers won’t notice?!”

Then Jordan’s grin gets impossibly wide. “Knowing them, I bet they are already discussing your wedding!”

=====

“Jordan knows.” Tessa announces to Scott as she enters the rehearsal room. 

There’s no need to include a preamble, because understanding immediately flickers across Scott’s face. He throws a surreptitious glance to the far corner of the room though. Alerting Tessa to the fact that Eric is present as well, busy setting up his equipment.

“Doesn’t your sister always know everything anyway?” He asks with a wink, while being careful not to mention anything too explicit which could be caught by Eric or those prying cameras of his. “She scares me a lot sometimes and makes me grateful that I only have older brothers. I’m not sure I could have gotten away with half the shenanigans I did if I had older sisters.” 

“Well, to be fair, I’m pretty certain Jordan’s the one who used to pull me into shenanigans.” Tessa replies thoughtfully. “Anyway, apparently you and I need to check out social media more just to keep up with what’s going on. Also Jordan’s takeaway advice for me, was to really enjoy the competition and do whatever I want.”

Scott’s eyes widen, and for a moment he actually thinks Tessa is openly referring to them “doing it” here and now- 

Thankfully, rational thought enters his brain again, and he remembers they aren’t alone in the studio. Scott’s only grateful he didn’t yelp out something embarrassing or revealing like,  _ now and right here? _ That would have definitely spilled the beans to the cameraman.

It’s incredible how quickly Tessa can rev up his libido and make him completely forget himself. She may not mean to rile him up, and could be speaking about something normal and mundane, but a flash of those green eyes, or a twist of those luscious lips, and Scott flashes back to the glorious sight of her laid out in his bed. And the knowledge that she returns his feelings.

Honestly, it’s a good thing they have the Paso Doble this week. Hopefully any overt passion or intensity in his behaviour towards her might be taken as him emulating the mood of the dance. Instead of him wanting to pull Tessa out to the nearest stairwell, or backing her up against the mirror and tearing off her tights.

Now that he knows what every inch of Tessa’s body feels like, Scott can’t help wanting to revel in it even further. He also really wants to showcase her strength and fire out onto the dance floor, as well as delve deeper into her passionate nature there. It seems almost a crime that Tessa has to often hide behind such a serious front on her panel show all the time.

Tessa in the meantime, is tilting her head inquiringly to him as she starts on her stretches. “So you know how after some of the assistants joked yesterday about how risque our choreography might come across… and we discussed maybe trying to tone down our routine today? Make it more like a Mickey Mouse version? Well, I don’t think we should water anything down. I think we should keep it as it is.” 

Scott immediately brightens. He hates compromising on a vision for a dance (a vision that he and Tessa had jointly come up with), but the comments had taken both him and Tessa aback. Enough that they were seriously considering changing their routine. “Are you sure? We are going to come close to the line and sometimes people just like to complain, especially when we’re on network television.” 

“It’s not like we aren’t fully clothed. In fact, my outfit is much less revealing than some of the costumes other people have had on the show! Plus, we really liked our routine a lot before the others made us doubt certain moves. I think Jordan’s right, we only have a few weeks left and should do what we really want to on the show.” 

The grin Tessa throws at him is so mischievous and naughty, that Scott has to actively resist pulling her in for a deep kiss (he doubles down on his warm ups instead). He adores how Tessa just wants to go for their original vision of their paso doble and has no wish to settle for some watered down version. 

Eric clears his throat then, proving to them that he has listened to at least part of their conversation. “I think the moves and lifts you have in this dance are definitely unique, different and sexy. I bet it’ll score well. But you have to admit that some moves and that one lift in particular, I mean,  _ come on… _ I’ve seen all kinds of moves on this job, but this  _ Carmen _ routine, I really do feel a bit like a voyeur.”

Scott chuckles in response. “Man, you’re a cameraman on a reality tv show competition. You are a professional voyeur, Eric! And have been since before I joined the show!”

Eric smirks and then sighs with exaggerated exasperation. 

“No offense, but as great as you dance and as hot as most of my friends find you both... You two are  _ so _ not my preferred demographic. Still, I admit this dance is going to get a lot of people very hot under the collar!”

=====

It turns out practising the dance gets both Tessa and Scott hot under the collar as well. 

Tessa barely has the door closed and locked before Scott has his arms around her and he's kissing the crook of her neck from behind. 

Tessa moans loudly as her head falls back. Then she grins, spins around in his arms and kisses him hard as they start to frantically pull at each others’ clothes. 

The wonderful thing about coming home directly from rehearsal is that they are already in easy-to-remove sportswear and that it’s super convenient for them to jump straight into the shower together. Before tumbling into bed. 

All the grinding and touching in the Carmen routine always makes them both randy as hell. So for the last few days, they’ve taken to slotting Carmen for the latter half of rehearsal so that they won’t get all keyed up just before dance rehearsals with Maxim. 

Besides the paso doble, Tessa and Scott also have a trio dance - a foxtrot to Cheek to Cheek with Max. And let’s just say earlier in the week, they had a rather close shave. They stopped Carmen practice early to sneak into the janitor’s closet for some relief together, and had narrowly missed being caught by the other male pro, who was heading towards their rehearsal room to join them for foxtrot choreography. Thankfully, the older pro was a little preoccupied and didn’t seem to realise how extra flushed both Tessa and Scott were that afternoon.

_ [Note: the concept of the foxtrot is simple. Max and Tessa are attending a dance together. But once she and Scott catch sight of one another and starts dancing together, Tessa is immediately taken with him instead. And poor Max ends up shadowing their dancing, in a trio foxtrot.] _

And so about an hour later, as a sated Tessa is getting her breathing back under control and she finds herself cuddling up to Scott (even though they’ve made themselves a sweaty mess again), she asks with a laugh, “How in the world are we going to cope with Carmen on show day tomorrow? We still have no idea where we’ll fall within the lineup. And what with all the post-show interview stuff, and of course, dinner with my folks… I’m not sure how I’m going to keep my hands off you!” 

“Feel free to place your hands wherever you want!” Scott says as he nuzzles through her messy hair to drop light kisses along her jaw. Then midway through trailing his lips down her neck, he pauses thoughtfully and adds, “Just maybe not at dinner in front of your mother.”

With a full-throated laugh, Tessa allows Scott to press up against her closely. She can feel her desire flaring up again, but before she can make a move to firmly start up the next round, a very loud rumble from Scott’s stomach disrupts them. 

“I think that’s an obvious sign that we need to leave this bed and feed you,” she giggles at Scott’s sheepish expression. Tessa always knew dancing could burn a lot of calories, but it’s only since she’s been paired up with Scott that she’s realised how much he needs to eat all the time. And with all the extra ‘cardio’ they’ve been doing together, she’d decided to order in some extra Hello Fresh meals, since there’s no way she’ll be able to sufficiently feed them both whenever he stays over at her place.

Dinner ends up being pan seared chicken with roasted potatoes and green beans that Scott had to take the lead in cooking. And afterwards when they move out to have drinks on the balcony, Tessa finds herself curled up with Scott as they talk about everything under the sun and nothing at all. 

Tessa sighs in contentment. She’s starting to imagine all her future evenings in this manner, and she can’t envision anything better. 

“Penny for your thoughts ?” Scott whispers quietly in her ear.

“Oh, I was just thinking how happy and content I feel.”

“Really?!” Scotts asks, sounding pleased. “Me too, by the way. I never thought I’d be so happy. I kinda want to shout it from this balcony and tell the whole world... But no worries, I won’t embarrass you that way tonight.”

“That sounds like a threat!” Tessa chuckles. “Like you won’t tonight but may do so tomorrow or next week.”

“I admit it’s been hard to contain myself around you,” Scott grins playfully. “But I think I’ve been doing really good. Without all our routines to channel my energy and desire into though, I think I would have exploded by now.”

“Well Jordan clearly doesn’t think either of us have been very good at hiding our relationship. She keeps informing me that she’s pretty certain our mothers are in cahoots somewhere. But I’m surprised Max hasn't said anything. We literally tumbled out of the janitor’s closet in front of him!” 

“That was definitely a close shave!” Scott sighs loudly, running a hand through his hair. “But you can’t blame him. He’s preoccupied. His contract renegotiations aren’t going so well and he’s nervous both he and Tati might be on the chopping block.”

“What why?!” Tessa exclaims in shock. Maxim and Tatiana have been on the show almost from the start. Just a few seasons after Patch actually. 

Scott shrugs with a grimace. “That’s just the way the show works. The producers drop pros all the time. And no one really knows why. Sometimes it’s a popularity thing, sometimes it’s a cost thing, sometimes they just want to do a refresh and bring fresh blood in. Who knows why?!”

He pauses and then his shoulders slump. “Danny got dropped, you know? He got on the show while I was still performing on the West End and he’s pretty much the reason why they offered me the chance to audition. And when I got on, I think the producers really liked the idea of having two brothers. It was just a different type of energy from all the married pros that they had at the time. It seemed like the fans liked us both too. Yet somehow once Danny fulfilled the seven seasons in his contract, DWTS didn’t renew him.”

Tessa’s brow furrows as she watches Scott’s mouth turn downwards, and she realises that he left unsaid DWTS’s decision to renew his own contract time and again. That despite Scott’s continued success on the show, this long-ago decision about Danny by DWTS had hurt and confused him. Deeply.

“Does Danny have any idea why?” Tessa asks.

“He thinks his personality wasn’t the best fit for the show. That he didn’t really stand out and they had other similar male pro archetype options,” Scott mutters. “He said he was glad they fully utilised him all seven seasons though, since so many of the other pro and troupe members got dropped much earlier from their contracts.”

“Like Leanne?”

“Yes, like Leanne.” Tessa recalls how Scott’s cousin only made the show as a troupe member. And only for one season.

“Do… do you feel guilty about the fact that you were kept on?” 

“I don’t know. Sometimes I guess…” Scott mumbles as he slumps further down the sofa to rest his head on her shoulder. “Danny was the one who pursued getting on the show. While I was busy overseas in the UK doing theatre and thinking I was going to embark on a West End career.”

Tessa finds herself running her fingers soothingly through Scott's thick hair as he lets out a small sigh and snuggles closer into her. “But the show has always treated all the pros as separate individuals, right? Even for couples like Marie-France and Patch, Max and Tati. And besides having separate contracts, you and Danny joined the show at completely different times? So it’s not as if your career is actually linked to Danny's...”

_ “I know…  _ and I know Danny really loves coaching back in Ilderton.” Scott frowns as he gnaws on his lower lip. “However sometimes I’m a little torn. I wonder how I got so lucky with a career I pretty much stumbled into. I’m appreciative of all the opportunities that came because I’m on the DWTS. But I also feel guilty when I get frustrated with the show and the producers”

“Are you thinking about leaving?” Tessa asks quietly. 

“How did you know?” Scott replies startled. He pushes himself to look at Tessa, and realises that there is no surprise in her face.

“There’s been speculation online for a few years now about how much longer you will stay on the show,” Tessa shares, not revealing that Jordan has been online stalking the show and its pros since it first started. “Your fans are supportive though. They will miss you on DWTS since they clearly think you are the best, but a lot of them don’t begrudge you opportunities elsewhere. So long as they still get content from you somehow.” 

“Oh well, I’ve definitely been toying with the idea for a while.” Scott replies in a sheepish manner. “I’ve taken a few seasons off here and there to do stuff, but the show’s schedule is so hectic that leaving is the best way to really pursue other interests. And I’ve just reached my tenth year… so… yeah it does seem like a good time to do so...” 

He reaches over to grasp her hand in his, rubbing the back of her thumb in concentric circles. “I hope you don’t think I was hiding it from you or something. Honestly, I’ve been having so much fun with you this season that I put off even thinking about it. Plus, I admit I was crushing so hard on you that I was kinda distracted!” 

Scott grins. Clearly thinking about the multitude of ways he’s been distracted by Tessa, and he leans in to steal another kiss from her. Which gets them distracted all over again. 

It’s only when they are getting ready for bed, Tessa applying her lotion and Scott settling into the bed beside her after brushing his teeth, that Tessa remembers the question lurking at the back of her mind. The one she’s uncertain whether it’s too early in their relationship to seek a response on. 

However, she is also aware that while she and Scott are happy in their little bubble for now, things will be changing rapidly soon. They are only three weeks away from the finals and after that, she and Scott won’t have DWTS as an excuse to spend every day together anymore. So even though Tessa longs for the show to be over (when they hopefully need no longer be bothered about public speculation and the paparazzi hanging outside the rehearsal building trying to catch photos of the celebs and pros arriving and leaving), she also worries how the dynamics between her and Scott will shift once the show ends. 

After all, there will no longer be the intensity of competition, nor the excitement and adrenaline rush of performing in front of an appreciative live audience. Furthermore, her agent had informed Tessa she was now one of two possible candidates for that talk show job. Tessa’s already getting pulled into lots of discussions with the network on what format and segments her show might have. She can’t even imagine how busy things will get if she actually lands the job.

If she couples that with Scott leaving LA for a few months after the season for his solo dance tour? Would they even have any time to see each other? Especially if he does leave DWTS, and his next gig after the tour takes him out of the city as well? She and Scott have only been together for two weeks, and already she has worries that they won’t be able to realistically last more than another month! 

So, taking the plunge, she asks, “If you did leave the show, where would you go? Would you go back to Ilderton to coach? Or go to New York to return to a Broadway path?”

Tessa keeps her head bent down. Partly to focus on moisturising her legs. And partly to help hide her expression from Scott.

“Ilderton?!” Scott sounds surprised. “Oh no. I love Mom and Danny, but I doubt I could work with them full-time all year round. And Broadway, well if you had asked me at the start of the year, I’d probably say yes. It’s still something I would like to go back to for a stint at some point…”

Then Scott trails off, frowning and scratching the back of his neck. A little confused and hurt.. “But there’s no way I would plan to permanently move out of LA. After all, now that the two of us…” He gestures weakly between them both. “I mean I know our relationship is really new, but I thought you would prefer me to stay in LA as well?”

“Of course I do!” Tessa exclaims, turning impulsively towards him. “But you have the tour coming up, and Patrick told me you’re always getting opportunities from all over so if you leave Dancing with the Stars and I get the talk show...”

“T, whatever happens, we’ll figure it out. I might get a gig or two that takes me out of the city like my dance tour which might end up being an annual thing. But never anything permanent!” Scott exclaims, as he hugs her close. “Not when you’re here!”

“Are you sure?” Tessa replies tentatively. “I don’t want to be the one to hold you back!”

“I promise you, that you aren’t!” Scott says, giving her a cute smile. “I’ve had a pretty good run on DWTS and on paper, I could probably continue that run if I stay on. But now that I’ve danced with you, I really don’t think anyone can ever match up to you and what we’ve come up with these past weeks. I’ve been bored for quite awhile now and  _ you _ are the sole reason why I’ve been on this creative kick and why the show has suddenly become fun to me again.” 

Scott drops a light kiss on her lips, and says. “Also I’ve seen the way you throw yourself into these dances and into the talk show, and I totally want to do the same. I’ve been too comfortable with DWTS as a safety net. It’s time to move on and really try other things instead of just doing them as a side gig. I’ve spent ten years on this show, and even though we have a few weeks left, I already know this has been the best season ever for me…”

Tessa blushes at all his sweet words, and then with an impish grin, she asks, “I hope this means you think we are going to win?”

“Of course! Honestly if we somehow don’t, I want to make the public so mad that articles are written and they lambest the show and the producers!” Scott grins back as he leans down for another kiss.

=====

Extract from Tessa Virtue’s handphone (left in the trailer area during the live taping of DWTS)

Jordan (5.54pm): Excuse me.... what the hell was that routine?!? Scott’s growl was so loud I think fans in the rafters could hear him over the music!!!

Jordan (5.55pm): I know it’s supposed to be Classical Night! And I was expecting the orchestra and symphony type song choices and arrangements. But I was not prepared for your Carmen!

Jordan (5.55pm): You are supposed to warn me when you practically fornicate with your new boyfriend in front of me!!! 

Jordan (5.56pm): Also Mom and millions of other people are watching! If I were wearing pearls, I would be clutching them right now!

Jordan (5.59pm): Ok I realise you’re probably changing costumes for your foxtrot, and won’t read this text for a few more hours, but I really hope your trio dance isn’t porny. You can’t traumatise your family this way twice in one night!

Jordan (6.04pm): I do hope you realise the whole world must know you are sleeping with Scott now.

Jordan (6.08pm): Since everyone already knows, I told Mom. Just so you know, she’s on the phone with Alma.

*****

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For info, if you are wondering about the timing of the show, DWTS apparently tapes the show live from 5-7pm.


	10. The Impact of a Paso Doble

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m definitely in procrastination mode when it comes to writing and updating my VM fics… and then suddenly I feel a little guilty and start churning the next chapter out rather quickly. So, apologies if there are any typos, etc.

“It was supposed to be a secret! Don’t you have any self-control?” hisses Tessa, as she pokes her sister in the arm backstage.

“Self-control?! You’re the one dry humping Scott in front of cameras and an audience!” squawks Jordan defensively. “You would have to be asleep during the performance to have not noticed the fireworks and fornication! Also Scott’s growl was so loud and startling that it would have woken up anyone who might have been dozing off!”

“That’s only what _you_ think! Plus, this is also about how I specifically asked you to keep this a secret. And in less than a week you blabbed and told Mom! And you wonder why people think you are untrustworthy?!”

Scott ignores the ongoing squabble between the two sisters, and instead bounces nervously on his feet as they wait for Kate to finish her call outside (something about the fabric for her new line) and join them backstage. He has no idea why he’s so apprehensive. After all, Kate likes him! _Right?_

But then again, he did just have his hands all over Tessa during Carmen. And when Tessa showed him the text messages from Jordan, he suddenly had a flashback to when he was seventeen and was caught moving into third base with Amber Donnelly in the backseat of his car by her father. He has no wish for Kate to death glare at him in that same manner. 

He also feels a little rueful and annoyed that Kate and Alma apparently found out about Tessa and him via Jordan! Tessa is rebuking Jordan the way that only a sister can, but it doesn’t help alleviate the regret and worry he feels. Kate has always been kind and caring towards him, and Scott doesn’t want her to think that he was disrespecting her by sneaking around with Tessa behind her back. 

He has no qualms about hiding his relationship with Tessa from his own mother though. After all, she’s been lamenting his lack of a serious girlfriend for _years_ now. You would think with the many grandchildren Danny and Charlie have started to give her, as well as the multitude of students Alma already has under her wing, she would have little time to worry about his lack of a love life. But his mother is a super multi-tasker, and somewhere is the back of her mind, she is always concerned about when Scott is going to settle down and help contribute to her growing brood of grandchildren.

Scott’s rather grateful the status of his relationship with Tessa had changed only _after_ his mother’s visit to LA. Alma would have ferreted them out almost instantly if she was in town. And it’s so much easier to keep these things from her when she’s nearly 4,000km away and won’t be visiting him for a few more months. 

His phone vibrates and a quick glance at the screen leaves him wincing. 

It’s his mother. Calling him _again._

He had genuinely missed two of her calls whilst he was in the midst of the live show… but in truth, he had also allowed another two calls to ring on (silently) and go into voicemail. Because he really doesn’t want to deal with her reaction at the moment. 

Scott knows he can’t ignore his mother forever, but he can probably pretend his phone isn’t charged and push it off till later in the night. It’s better to deal with one mother at a time. And for now, he would rather face Kate first since she’s physically present here with them. Furthermore, they are supposed to go for dinner together. 

“Please! You two are already trending online! Only delusional people who are crushing on either you or Scott could somehow possibly think there weren't real sparks there! And as I already mentioned, the moms were gonna find out anyway, _if_ they didn’t already know!”

“Whether they knew or suspect or not, you still shouldn’t have _told_ them!” 

The bickering between the two sisters is starting to get louder than it should, and Scott wonders if he should step in to remind them they are still in public. There are quite a lot of glances being thrown their way. However, thankfully it’s mostly crew around, and all the press have already left the area. 

He eyes the two brunettes before him hesitantly. For a moment, he’s distracted from his thoughts as he marvels at how similar Tessa and Jordan look like one another. It really is remarkable. Especially when they are both upset and ranting at each other with flashing eyes. Yet while he can objectively appreciate Jordan’s beauty, it really doesn’t do anything for him. On the other hand, Tessa just has to _look_ at him and Scott can feel it take his breath away…. 

Then their squabble streams into his consciousness again, and he remembers the crux of the argument. He decides then there is really no way he’s getting involved between two angry sisters. It seems a little dangerous. 

“Are you all ready to go?” Kate’s voice calls out, which instantly quietens the sisters. “I believe we made reservations at The Grill tonight, and I’m sure you’ll be wanting your steak.”

“Oh yeah…” Scott spins around quickly, almost falling over himself after being startled by her presence. “You know I like my steak.” He stares at Kate a little wide-eyed, swiftly scanning her expression. But to his surprise, she doesn’t seem to be considering him in any particularly different way. 

Scott exchanges a glance with Tessa, who seems similarly confused by the lack of reaction from Kate. Were they lucky enough to escape comments from Kate? Tessa even reaches over to grasp his hand tightly. Perhaps to draw strength once Kate starts mercilessly squealing and teasing them… 

But nothing.

Huh.

As they drive together towards the restaurant and Kate continues to act normally, Scott starts to relax more and more. Maybe he was just being paranoid and it really isn’t as bad as he had feared... 

Their little group reaches the restaurant and it takes awhile for them to finally make their orders. They get distracted by discussing Tessa’s new talk show (she got the job!), and about how Casey apparently wants to surprise his wife with a safari holiday in Africa for their upcoming anniversary. He’s been negotiating with Kate about taking care of Poppy during the entirety of the trip, and Kate has been uncertain because while she adores her granddaughter, she’s also not sure she can survive the munchkin on her own for three whole weeks!

“Totally understandable,” Tessa nods in sympathy. “Poppy can be exhausting!”

It’s only after the appetisers are complete, and Scott has started to relax with a drink in hand, that Kate finally turns to Tessa and him with a gleaming Cheshire smile. 

“So Jordan tells me you two are a couple?” 

Damn it! Kate had totally lured him into a false sense of security! 

It all went a little awkward and downhill after that! 

Kate was definitely pleased at the fact that Tessa and Scott were dating. Ok maybe the right word is overjoyed, rather than pleased. She was practically bursting with happiness and pride! And even though she kept the uncomfortable questions to a minimum (sort of… ok not really), what really threw Tessa and Scott were the thrilled looks Kate kept giving them. 

It also didn’t help that Jordan was eager to fan the flames by continuously teasing them with innuendo-filled commentary all through the meal. Asking if they came up with the concept of Carmen whilst tangling in the sheets, and wondering whether Tessa should consider doing a dance segment on her show, so that she can invite Scott on to dance and show couples how to spice up their relationships…

“Just remember that it’s daytime network television, so you do need to keep it even more PG-rated!” Jordan says with a lewd smirk. “Also can we check what kind of choreography you plan to unleash for next week? Poppy is coming to watch, so let us know if we should cover her eyes!”

Tessa just rolls her eyes in exasperation, not even bothering to reply. 

In the meantime, Scott is torn between being glad Tessa’s family likes him so much, and being slightly weirded out by how much they do. It’s not as if the families of his past girlfriends haven’t found him charming. But he’s never been so quickly embraced or accepted by them before. 

Sure he isn’t some new, unknown guy… but still… the way Jordan had been ribbing him all night, it’s as if he’s already part of the Virtue family and one of her younger siblings that she feels comfortable torturing. _[Note: Maybe she isn’t tormenting him as much as she is Tessa, but it’s definitely more than she’s ever directed his way before.]_

Also, Kate still keeps _looking_ over towards them, smiling inanely and then sighing heavily. Like she’s already designing wedding outfits for them both in her head, and can already envision them at the altar, about to say their vows and everything.

It’s _really_ disconcerting! Not to mention embarrassing!

Apparently, he’s not the only one who notices it. 

“Ok Mom… you have to stop it!” Tessa finally declares. “I’m happy that you’re happy for us. But you need to stop smiling. It’s becoming rather creepy.”

“What nonsense! I do not have a creepy smile.” Kate replies in a dismissive tone. “But you’re right. I’m glad that the two of you seem to have finally gotten your heads out of the sand. It was getting rather obvious to all of us! Alma and I were starting to despair…”

“Despair?!” Tessa exclaims with a raised eyebrow. “Don’t you think you’re being a tad dramatic?” 

“Not at all!” Kate interjects with enough firmness to make Tessa reign in the rest of her exasperation. 

Tessa knows very well she won’t be able to win an argument against her mother. However, Scott can recognise how annoyed she still remains by that militant glint in her green eyes. He suspects she’ll just wait till they are back in the privacy of her apartment to share her grouses with him. 

*

“You know what? Part of me just wants to break up with you so that Mom and Jordan can’t be so smug anymore.”

“What?” Scott yelps, taken aback by Tessa’s declaration. After an entire meal of being razzed, there had been the expected grumbling from Tessa during the drive to her apartment, but he had not been expecting this drastic turn in the conversation. 

We should do it around Christmas,” Tessa muses. “ Or maybe Canada Day…. that’s closer. It’ll definitely spoil the mood for them, and hopefully get them to eventually back off a lot more.”

“That’s a bit extreme, don’t you think?” Scott asks with a raised eyebrow and a concealed smile. _[Note: he doesn’t dare tell her he finds her grumbling rather cute.]_

“You do realise they’ll be like this every time we meet up right?” Tessa replies petulantly. “We still have a few more weekly dinners with them, and I will definitely have to interact with them even more frequently. If you can think of any ideas to temper their behaviour, I’ll appreciate it. Because I have no doubt we’ll be pushed to it long before Canada Day.”

“Well... just as long as it’s a fake break-up.” Scott says glibly. Now that he is no longer under the scrutiny of Kate and Jordan, he’s kind of relieved everything went relatively smoothly. Tessa and her family are so important to him, that he had been somewhat worried that they would disapprove of him for Tessa. After all, he’s very aware that Tessa is _way_ out of his league and he’s extremely lucky that she reciprocates his feelings. 

Tessa gives him a pert look. “Of course… But you know the only reason you can be so blase about this is because Mom and Jordan were much more focused on teasing me than you all night. Don’t think I haven’t noticed how you’ve been ignoring your phone all evening...”

Aw shit. Damn. He forgot. 

With a loud sigh, Scott pulls out his phone. There are now _nine_ missed calls from his mother, and over a dozen missed messages. He’s so screwed.

Tessa giggles as Scott drops his head into his hands. “Yeah, I think it’s time you called Alma back. It was my turn during dinner and I’m glad you were there to take some of the heat… but now it’s your turn to be the focus of all the squealing.”

She gives him a soothing pat, an impish grin, and then sashays off to the kitchen stating that she’ll brew some herbal tea for them both.

Leaving Scott the time and space to make that call to his mother. 

He wonders if there is any chance he can put it off till tomorrow morning. After all, it’s really rather late in Ilderton. But knowing his mother, she’s probably still up… and it’ll be worse if he procrastinates much longer.

So with a deep breath, he makes the call. Alma picks up almost immediately. 

“So, I see you finally got round to calling me back.” His mother greets him admonishingly. Her tone harkens back to the many times he’s gotten into trouble with her, and even from this distance, Scott winces. He can already picture her standing in her kitchen with her fists on her hips as she contemplates this new mischief by one of her sons. 

“Sorry, my battery was low and then died... And I was out with the Virtues for dinner.”

“So I’ve heard. Where apparently it was shared that you and Tessa are dating now?”

Right. Straight to the point. And with the lilt in her tone that comes through the phone, Scott can practically hear the grin on his mother’s face. Before he can respond, Alma goes into what seems like an unending squeal about how _happy_ she is that he and Tessa are _finally_ together. She can’t _believe_ it took him so long to get his ass into gear. Also interspersed throughout her monologue, are more than a few rebukes for trying to keep this _wonderful_ news from her and Kate. She also adroitly expresses her disappointment in his lack of trust in her with his failure to confide such important info. 

By the time the call finally ends, Scott feels utterly spent. It’s definitely been a long day.

After a quick shower, he crawls into Tessa’s bed, where she is doing some bedtime reading, and cuddles up beside her. Letting out a loud exhale of breath when he is able to wrap his arms around her and take in the comforting scent of her strawberry shampoo and Nivea body lotion. 

“How was it?” An amused Tessa asks, allowing him to nuzzle into her abdomen, as she puts away her book and slowly strokes his hair. It’s getting rather long but Tessa seems to like it. And since he really likes her fingers running through them, he’s probably going to keep it at this length for as long as he possibly can.

“I feel about an inch tall? How do mothers always know how to do that?” Scott murmurs into her skin. It’s so, _so_ soft, he can’t help trailing kisses up and down the skin available to him. “But generally Mom is super pleased. Also, fun fact. She said she thinks Carmen might be her favourite out of all the dances I’ve choreographed.”

He wants to smirk as he recalls the way Alma had praised the dance. It had been gratifying to meet his mother’s high standards. Nonetheless, it’s also still a little mortifying when he thinks about the sexiness of the whole routine. 

“Really?!” For a few seconds, Tessa’s face blanches like he did during the call. “Should we be worried that our mothers love Carmen as much as they do? Jordan keeps claiming she is traumatised. And in fairness, that makes more sense than our mothers adoring the Carmen routine as much as they supposedly do.”

Scott laughs, “It’s nice that everyone seems so happy for us though… I like that… a lot.”

“You do? Me too!” Tessa says. “Despite how everyone seems so eager to tease us...” 

“Yeah… even though your mom was super nice tonight, it was way more awkward with her than Jordan’s deliberate teasing. I still can’t believe she speculated out loud about our _sex_ _life_ with us seated right there! Wondering if we like things rough, like Carmen! Or more romantic like P&P or Umbrellas...” 

Now it’s Scott’s turn to feel a little ill again. Having to recall that mortifying moment with Kate who hadn’t realised she had blabbed those thoughts of hers out loud. _[Note: he’s starting to appreciate how seriously lightweight both Kate and Alma are when it comes to alcohol!]_

Tessa giggles at the expression on his face and decides to distract him, by pulling him in for a deep kiss. It’s more than enough to drive all thoughts of their mothers out of his head.

=====

“Congratulations on the new talk show, Tessa! You must be very excited! Can you tell us anything about it?” The blonde Entertainment Tonight reporter exclaims as she moves the microphone towards Tessa. 

Tessa has just finished shooting on The View, and after this interview, she’s headed to rehearsal with Scott. With the semi-finals coming up, they really need to put more hours in, but since the network made the announcement about the new talk show, Tessa has also had to field some press about it. It’s definitely a new role for her since Tessa is usually the one asking questions.

“Yes, I’m thrilled the network decided to give me a chance. I’ve really enjoyed my time at The View, but this new show is definitely a dream opportunity.” Tessa smiles, even though she’s given about a dozen variations of the same answer the last few days. She wonders if her smile looks a little strained. “We’re still working out the format of the show though. It’s early days, but we do have some exciting ideas we hope we can implement.”

After a few more questions about the structure of the talk show and how she intends to differentiate herself in the market, Tessa observes the reporter start to fidget. There’s a smidge of visible excitement emanating from the blonde as she leans forward towards Tessa in anticipation. 

It amuses Tessa immediately. She can guess exactly what the next block of questions are going to involve: DWTS. And Scott.

“Ok moving on to Dancing, I must say that I’m a _huge_ fan of you and Scott. I love all your routines and I’m totally rooting for the two of you to win the Mirrorball Trophy!”

“Thank you so much. I hope you’re voting too since we need all the help we can get,” Tessa grins, much more genuinely now. Until she joined the reality competition, she’s never had such enthusiastic fans before. The truth is _no one_ really gets this passionate about journalists or the reporting of news, and she really enjoys how excited people can get about her dances with Scott.

“Can you tell us anything about your upcoming semi final dances?”

“Well, we have to do two dances. One is a contemporary, which I have been really excited about. I’ve been looking forward to it _all_ season and we got assigned to this beautiful song from Sam Smith. So I’m hoping everyone will love it as much as I do! Then as sort of a nice, fun contrast, our other song is a samba. I don’t think our song selection is cleared yet, which is a little worrying. But if all goes well, we might have a week of really modern hit songs! My sister just mentioned the other day that she’d noticed our playlist has been rather classic or even classical thus far.”

“You’ve had some great songs this season though. And talking about classical, I really loved your Paso Doble routine last week. I was not very familiar with the story of Carmen, but your routine was _just... so... hot!_ You and Scott together are probably my favourite couple _ever_ on the show!” 

The reporter twitches eagerly again, before just coming out with it. “”Alright, I just have to ask. There’s been a lot of rumours that you have been spending time with Scott outside of the studio and that those sparks flying on the dance floor are real. People are speculating that romance has been blossoming between the two of you.” She raises her eyebrows a little in a salacious manner. “Would you care to comment?”

Even though Tessa had been prepared for something along this line of inquiry, she finds herself freezing up just a little. The camera is still on her though so she keeps her smile plastered on. It’s just so weird to be the person placed in the hot seat and having to answer vaguely so as to sidestep these intrusive questions. 

“Well, people tend to forget that I’ve been friends with Scott for years. Back from when he had partnered my mother on the show. And since I moved back to LA and signed onto DWTS, we’ve obviously reconnected our friendship. So us hanging out together is to be expected... Also Scott and I were just talking about how grateful we are, that the public seem to be relating to all our performances. It’s like the best compliment that they like our characters and dances so much.” 

The reporter purses her lips like a teenager who has been denied the gossip from one of her high school friends. She tries to wheedle more information, for example noting that many of their dances seem extremely romantic in nature. She even tries to ask about the suggestive nature of their Carmen lift, and well… the entirety of the Carmen routine. But Tessa refuses to be drawn into saying anything more incriminating. With regards to the lift, she just mentions that Scott seems to have an endless database of new theoretical lifts he always wants to try to include in the dances, and Tessa was just game enough to try them out with him.

Giving up, the reporter then moves back to safer ground, “So can I ask if you and Scott can share anything about your freestyle?”

“Freestyle? That’s not till the finale, and we’re only at the semis...”

“Well, you must have thought of it. I can’t imagine you and Scott not making it through to the finals. You’ve not been in the bottom yet and it would honestly be a travesty if we didn’t get a chance to see your freestyle.” 

“Thanks again, but the rest of the competitors are so great as well.” Tessa shakes her head as if to wave away the compliment. She always gets uncomfortable with such praise because she’s genuinely unsure how well she’s doing in comparison to the other competitors. Plus technically, she knows the remaining celebrities are all really strong, in their various different ways.

“Jeff has become such a good friend of mine through this season and he’s definitely a crowd fav. Everyone loves him. Michelle is of course, such a wonderful dancer and she’s been the front-runner since the very start when they announced the cast. Javi is an Olympian gymnast! He does flips and tricks that no one else can. And Kaetlyn looks like the pop star that she is every time she gets on the floor… So I can only hope we perform well enough this week to convince the public they should vote us through to the finals.”

“Perhaps, but I’m definitely rooting for you both! I’ll vote too!” The reporter replies more earnestly now.

And it really does seem as if she will. Because ever since Tessa started to follow Jordan’s advice and pay more attention to the VirtueMoir tag online, she has begun to learn that many, _many_ people are huge supporters of her and Scott. 

Sometimes, it goes beyond their dancing or their supposed obvious romantic chemistry. Quite a lot of their fans just really seem to enjoy their friendship and camaraderie with one another. They like the way Tessa and Scott complement one another through the difficulties of the competition and yet seem to have fun throughout. For example, the piggybacks Scott gives her and the way they sometimes burst into uncontrollable laughter because of some inside joke they share.

However, while Tessa appreciates how fans think she and Scott work well together as a pair or partnership, she is much more cautious about the intense interest in their alleged romance. Although most fans seem supportive of the idea, there’s a small vocal minority who are vehemently against it and they can become quite nasty online. There are those, for instance, who despise her just because they are in love with Scott and desperately want to be in her place. There are others who just hate Scott because they don’t think he is good-looking or smart enough for her as a mere dancer. And she hates the hypocrisy of it all. How can fans claim to know her or Scott better than they know their own selves?! 

Although it really is a small enough minority to be ignored, Tessa does wonder what it’ll be like if she and Scott were to be open about their relationship. She had initially hoped that once the competition is over, no one would really care as much. After all, there would be no more cameras following them around, and no DWTS video package to be presented to the audience every week. 

However, her practical and realistic side is telling her that there will always be some level of attention on them, given that they’ve both chosen careers in the media sector. Furthermore, Scott has some major acting opportunities in the works (for right after his song and dance tour), and coupled with her new talk show, Tessa’s very aware that the spotlight on them is likely to intensify. Would that make the vitriol worse? 

She’s already perturbed about the attention from her own meddlesome family. She can’t imagine how frustrating it’ll be to have complete strangers have an opinion about her relationship with Scott and how she intends to lead her own life. 

It has been bothering her for some time now… and has only gotten worse since she started lurking more online. Especially after Carmen seemed to have galvanised more extreme reactions on both ends of the spectrum.

_[Note: Thankfully, all the judges had been quite appreciative of the dance, even if Tessa could see that they were a little taken aback by its risque nature. Kurt’s eyes were very wide and huge as he complimented them about the routine and the wonderful story they portrayed. And although Tessa and Scott had been afraid of Brian’s reaction, he had praised the technicality of the dance and the exciting new lifts. Finally, Marie-France rhapsodised about their exceptional connection and the wonderful emotion they were able to convey with every look and every move they made.]_

She knows Scott has been rattled as well. Even though he’s barely on social media, he’s far from a Luddite and he’s more than aware of some of the ridiculous and hurtful things her “fans” have apparently been saying about him. He pretended it wasn’t a big deal, but Tessa had easily recognised the glimpse of confusion and distress in his hazel eyes. Because it’s the same feelings she has been struggling with when she reads the negative opinions about herself.

Sometimes she really, _really_ wishes they weren’t “public” figures. But then again, she probably never would have met Scott if they were not in their current vocations. It’s just absurd that her happiness with Scott has to be marred by thoughts like this and the baseless, negative opinions of others. 

With a start, Tessa realises that she has arrived at the rehearsal studio. She can’t believe she actually let herself dwell on such negativity all through her drive here. Shaking her head to banish them away, she slams her car door shut a little more forcefully then she intended to. And nearly shrieks when she hears Scott’s voice behind her. 

“You alright?” Scott greets her with a cautious but warm smile. “I realise you didn’t notice I pulled into the parking lot just about the same time as you. You looked lost in your thoughts.”

“Lost in stupid thoughts yes.” Tessa sighs in exasperation. “I just hate how my mind jumps around sometimes and I over analyse things too much when I shouldn’t waste any time or energy on such useless topics. It’s why I’m loving dancing so much. It’s so freeing and I like how when I’m really into it, it’s all about _here”,_ she gestures to her heart, “instead of _here_.” Tessa ends with pointing to her head.

She relaxes though, when Scott slings his arm around her shoulder, drops a kiss onto her forehead, and draws her body flushed to his side as he leads them both into the building. Being in his presence and embrace does tend to calm her down and settle her (like the hug they always share before going on stage). Of course, there are other times when being in his arms will rev her up her libido instead. But at this moment, she is content to just sit back with him, leaning against the wall-length mirrors of the studio, as they take a few minutes to just savour being in each other’s company. Having arrived a little early for rehearsal, the room is completely empty and the silence is comforting rather than uncomfortable. 

Eventually Scott manoeuvres both their positions so that they are facing one another. “So is it something you want to talk about?” he asks in concern. “Or would you prefer to be distracted?”

“Well… That would depend on what kind of distraction you are offering?” Tessa replies with a small cheeky smile. She laughs as Scott does a double-take and blushes boyishly. Having not realised how suggestive his earlier words were.

“I wasn’t- I mean, I didn’t intend to-”

“Relax, I know you didn’t.” Tessa chuckles. “Though part of me kinda wishes you did.”

She had intended to let her head to drop and rest on his shoulder again. But Scott’s handsome face and solicitous expression is much too tempting. Tessa reaches out to caress his cheek, just as he swoops in for a warm, affectionate and invigorating kiss. 

Tessa has laced her fingers around the back of Scott’s neck to draw him into an even deeper liplock, when they hear the door to their room open rather forcefully. 

“Hey Scott, what’s this I hear about- Holy shit!” Patrick yelps as he gets a great view of the makeout session in front of him. “When did this _happen?!”_

The bag of kale chips he’s snacking on falls to the ground, and Patrick leans down to hastily grab it up before any of his precious chips spill out onto the floor. It then takes him an additional second or two to fully comprehend the evidence in front of him again, before he directs a glare at his best friend.

“How could you not tell me about this!?” Patrick says to Scott, as he gesticulated wildly between him and Tessa. “And why in the world couldn’t you get together in finale week instead! I could have won the pool!”

  


*****

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I figured everyone might want a little peek at how everyone, especially the mothers, reacted to Carmen. =P


	11. Lead Up to the Mirrorball Trophy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyone watching the new season of DWTS? It’s not my favourite by a long shot, but I take my latin dance whenever and wherever it comes. At least SCD has started, so I’ll be able to get a double dose =)

Scott always knew Patrick was a blabber. And he received further proof of this fact when he walked into the building the next day and was greeted by massive grins by both Maxim and Tatiana. 

“Chiddy told you, didn’t he?” Scott sighs. 

“He told  _ everyone!”  _ Tatiana laughs exuberantly. “To be fair, he had to update the pool. And just so you know, Marie-France took home the pot.”

“No wonder, I received the random smiley face and celebratory emojis from Marie-France yesterday. She did say Tessa and I should join her and Patch for dinner one of these days. Her treat.” Scott shakes his head. “That’s when I knew Patrick must have blabbed about me and Tessa, but I couldn’t think why he would have spilled the beans to her specifically.”

“Oh, no doubt,” Maxim drops an affectionate arm over Scott’s shoulder. “The chat group exploded with various degrees of excitement and disappointment when the news broke. And Marie-France was very smug about her win. Personally, I’d demand a nice restaurant for that treat from her. The pot was… sizable.”

“I sense slightly sour grapes. Can I assume the two of you were in the pool too?!” Scott raises an accusing eyebrow at them.

“I think the correct question would be who wasn’t in the pool?” Maxim chuckles, clapping Scott on the shoulder as they walk towards their respective practice rooms. “After all, it’s been ages since we were able to have a pool like this? The last time was probably when Carolina was dating that athlete partner of hers? However in that specific case, the pool was for speculating how long their relationship would actually last! And I don’t think as much of the cast and crew was as interested in that particular relationship as they are with yours and Tessa.”

Tati nods solemnly. “I remember quite a few of us ladies had an icky feeling about him and we were right? He got Carolina into so much trouble when he got caught doping! I’m so glad she eventually broke up with him.”

“I think most of the male pros thought he was an okay guy at first, but by the end of the season, we had mostly changed our minds,” Scott agrees. Then wide-eyed, he asks, “Wait, are people wondering the same about Tessa and I? Do they have similar snarky thoughts?” 

“Oh quite the opposite. Look, everyone  _ loves _ Tessa. And are happy you two found each other. There’s just some of us who might have been a little happier if you had gotten together with Tessa either earlier or later in the season...”

“Right, sorry to disappoint. If I had known what was at stake, I might have timed things a little better.” Scott replies irreverently. “So how did you two end up doing?” 

“Oh I was way off but I think Tati was only off by about three weeks?” 

Tatiana nods as Maxim continues, “Chiddy was really close though, which is why he’s been whinging the most.”

“What about the producers? Do they know?” Scott holds his breath at this. While he has many friends in the production team, he doesn’t fully trust their executive producer Mike Slipchuck. While Mike has been quite supportive of Scott in the past, all the pros also know he is willing to do almost anything for ratings. The show always comes first to Mike, and Scott can imagine the man salivating at the thought of dramatically revealing a real romance between celeb and pro on the show. 

“Several members of production were in the pool, so yes they definitely know. But I wouldn’t worry about them spilling any tea on the show.” Tatiana replies with a reassuring chuckle. “They want you back next season too much to piss you off that way. Of course, they will likely intensify the innuendo and teasing about a possible romance between you and Tessa, but that’s nothing new for you two these past few weeks anyway...”

Scott nods slowly. He sometimes forgets that he does have some leverage on the show now. Especially compared to when he was a younger pro and the show was actively trying to engineer showmance storylines for him with several of his then-partners. 

For now, he (mostly) trusts production to reign in their worst tendencies, and the reality is that he and Tessa will have to go public eventually. Their preference though is to keep things quiet until the end of the season. Tessa and Scott have agreed that they really do not want their relationship to impact their votes, either positively or negatively.

“Don’t worry about it too much. Just focus on winning that Mirrorball Trophy,” Maxim interjects with a smirk. “Honestly, I still can’t believe you might get a  _ sixth _ win and we should all hate you for it. But if we had a pool on the competition itself, I would totally put money on you and Tessa”

“Yes, I’ve got to agree. I think you and Tessa are looking especially good this week,” Tati says. “I’m really liking the story and all those new lifts and moves you’ve added to Latch. Also while I’ve always suspected Tessa would be brilliant in contemporary with those beautiful lines of hers, I never expected her to be so great with the samba. She’s got the bounce, she’s  _ even _ got the samba rolls down. Brian is going to be so happy to see those moves on the floor!”

“Thanks guys. We’ve been working hard on both routines, and hopefully it’ll pay off.” Scott replies with a shy smile. 

Throughout his years on the show, Scott has always reminded his partners to focus on enjoying the overall journey rather than being fixated on trying to win. After all, DWTS is not a real technical competition and so many other factors outside the couple’s control can influence how the audience decides to vote. 

_ [Note: Scott also knows because he has won the competition so many times before, he has a very different perspective from some of his fellow pros who are still aiming for their first win. He can afford to make the DWTS journey as fun and memorable as he can for each of his past partners (whilst pushing them to do the very best they can).] _

Nonetheless, there’s a big part of Scott which hopes he’ll be able to win the Mirrorball with Tessa. He’s fully aware that she’s just as competitive as him at the core, and even though he has never played favourites before (when asked to choose or rank his past partners, Scott has always demurred or changed the subject), there’s no question in his heart, that Tessa  _ is _ his favourite... for so many,  _ many _ reasons. 

Therefore winning with her….  _ for _ her... would just be incredible. And the best way to end this wonderful experience they’ve shared together.

Scott worries though about Michelle and Patch. While the remaining contestants of Kaetlyn Osmond, Jeffrey Buttle and Javier Fernandez can be considered serious threats for the win, Scott knows it is really the combination of Michelle Kwan and Patrice Lauzon that will be his and Tessa’s biggest competition going into these final two weeks of the show. And he wants to do everything he can to ensure he choreographs the best dances possible for Tessa in the leadup to the finale.

While he hopes that the sexy samba to Shape of You and the beautiful lyricism of Latch will help them along the way, Scott has already started thinking about routine ideas for the finale. 

He hopes Tessa will like the ideas he has come up with.

=====

It’s the tech-rehearsal before the semi-finals, and as usual, it’s the one day where everyone is in the building together, getting ready for the live show.

Scott had warned her that the teasing might shift to another gear now that all their fellow cast and crew are aware of the change in their relationship status. But Tessa was definitely unprepared when Piper and Carolina started to blatantly ask her intrusive questions about her and Scott’s love life. Such as whether Scott’s as creative and energetic in the bedroom as he is on the dance floor.

“Um… well... I don’t feel comfortable answering that..” Tessa replies hesitantly as she tries to figure out how to politely extract herself from this situation and stop the blush she feels facing up her neck and face.. She was just taking a little break, as Scott had disappeared to some last minute adjustments to one of the pro dance outfits, and the next thing she knew Carolina and Piper had started their bombardment.

“Ignore them! They’re just teasing,” Joannie states with a chuckle as she comes to sit with them on the sidelines of the main floor, to watch Jeffrey embark on his tech-run. “It’s because despite Scott’s gregarious nature, he’s always been quite private with his relationships. And he’s never dated anyone from the show before.”

“Which is why we’re genuinely curious,” interjects Carolina with a smirk. “Because besides the pros that came onboard with spouses or long-time partners, almost every other pro or troupe member has dated someone else related to the show. But I know that Scott never did despite being on DWTS for so long...” 

_ [Note: It is well known both within the show and by the public that Carolina has been involved with a few of her past partners.]  _

“And it was not for the lack of trying,” Piper adds. “Like everyone thought Gabrielle Daleman really did have a proper crush on him the entire time they were partnered together. And remember young Alexandra from the troupe? She was definitely into Scott from the moment she joined the show, but we don’t think he ever really noticed.”

“Yes, so we’re very used to seeing an oblivious Scott go through life and the show, not fully understanding how many women were throwing themselves at him. It was quite entertaining for us to suddenly watch Scott walk around all lovestruck and intoxicated when you joined the show.” Joannie grins. “I thought it might even throw him off his Mirrorball game, but clearly you just inspired him further. I really love Latch by the way. It’s the perfect song for you both…”

“What do you mean?” Tessa asks curiously as the three pros share a mischievous grin.

“Well in the makeup trailer just now, we were discussing how you two truly seemed to be latched on to one another.”

“And how usually clingy ‘koala-like’ couples are kinda annoying. But instead the two of you are just ridiculously adorable!”

“My grandmother by the way, just informed me she didn’t send a single vote my way all season!” Piper shares with an exasperated eye-roll. “She has however thrown all her votes to  _ you two _ throughout the season, even though she thinks Nathan was a pretty strong dancer. Actually, the last time she called me, all she wanted to know was whether that nice Tessa girl and handsome Scott boy were dating in real life!”

The indignation is real, albeit a little exaggerated from Piper, and it causes the rest of the group including Tessa, to laugh heartily.

“It will be harder to keep things on the down low once the season ends though,” Joannie shares. Even though she’s engaged to someone out of the public eye, Joannie knows fans have figured out who he is and there are just some things you cannot completely keep under wraps. “Especially once you two no longer have the cover of dance practice to hide behind.”

“Well, we think we have some time before that happens,” Tessa replies with a slight shrug. “Scott will be going off on his tour soon. Then after that he will be on location for that movie musical he just got cast as the lead in. So we’ll be separated for a bit... And while we assume people will figure our relationship out eventually, it’s not as if we have to confirm any of the speculation.”

=====

Although Tessa and Scott have a pretty good game plan in place with regard to the media and fan attention, Jordan is of the opinion that they have grossly underestimated how rife with speculation the internet is with their relationship. Frankly, they’re far too lost In their own little bubble to be fully aware how much people adore the possibility of them being a real couple. And how much everyone is watching their every move.

Jordan however, likes to keep an eye on the murmurings online and has observed how their semi-final performances of Shape of You and Latch last Monday have only ratcheted things up to yet another level. 

She had been there in the audience as Tessa and Scott transitioned from sexy grinding in the club to falling in love in front of everyone. So in many ways she understands why fans can’t believe the party line that the two of them are purely platonic. Because no one with eyes or any sense, can possibly think Tessa and Scott are only just friends. Not when they look at one another the way they do. 

As if they think the sun rises and sets on each other. 

Of course, sometimes they look at one another as if they have very different thoughts in mind as well, which probably doesn’t help their case either. 

It’s also really quite noticeable if, like Jordan, you have studied their routines from the start of the season, and then try and compare them to their more recent routines.

Jordan had been intrigued when Tessa had invited her to practice for a sneak peek of their DWTS finale dances. But as she sits in their rehearsals, it's all that Jordan can do to not burst out into uncontrollable giggles. Because it’s just so  _ crazy! _

There is no doubt in her mind that Scott and Tessa have come up with brilliant choreography for their final push for the Mirrorball Trophy. They have to dance three dances this week. A repeat of a routine they have already danced before (Tessa and Scott selected their Pride and Prejudice waltz which Jordan already knows fans will swoon over again), a redemption dance where the judges pick a style of dance they want the couples to redo, and of course the all-important freestyle.

When Jordan first heard that Tessa had to redo her cha cha, she admittedly was worried it might disadvantage Tessa against her competitors. After all, the cha cha has always seemed to be a generic, basic latin dance with little opportunity for characterisation or storyline. Even Scott has openly mentioned through the years how cha chas are his least favourite style to choreograph on the show because of the lack of drama, tension and story he can bring out of it. 

However what Jordan fails to remember is that Tessa had danced the cha cha with  _ Patch _ earlier that season. And although she and Patch attained very respective scores for that particular week, things would obviously be different when Tessa revists the same style with  _ Scott. _

Patch had deliberately choreographed a routine to showcase Tessa’s strong latin technique. One that would not look too out of place in the many latin and ballroom competitions across North America.

However, when Scott has to choreograph a cha cha for him and Tessa… he would obviously ‘virtuemoir’ it. So is it really that much of a surprise when Tessa and Scott somehow end up with a sexier, hip-hip, rhythm and blues, whatever-inspired version of the cha cha?! To be danced to Prince’s Kiss?!?

Honestly, Tessa and Scott generate so much freaking heat in the rehearsal run-through that Jordan feels slightly uncomfortable and voyeuristic! 

Jordan likes to think she’s a big fan of Tessa’s new relationship. Frankly, she likes Scott... a lot, which is more than she can say for some of Tessa’s ex-boyfriends. Also she loves to tease the two of them together. Because that is just the prerogative of a big sister, and it’s fun to watch Tessa and Scott squirm under the enthusiastic eyes of Kate and Alma. 

However, there’s still a part of her who can’t help relating some of Tessa and Scott’s performances to what they might be like  _ in the bedroomI _ The Carmen routine definitely elicited that response from her. And while she felt a tiny bit horrified, Jordan had decided to go straight into the mocking and teasing instead. She felt more on firmer, concrete ground there, plus she had at least an hour before she would actually meet Tessa and Scott backstage after the show. 

Watching Kiss in rehearsal though…  _ live... _ is somehow just too much info for Jordan to process. Her mind definitely flew to places she didn’t want it to and she really doesn’t want to know any of _ that  _ about her little sister and her boyfriend. 

No doubt the fans will eat the routine up. However Jordan’s first thought is that she really needs to prepare Casey and Kevin for this routine. The whole family had shown up for the semi-finals and were going to come down again to support Tessa at the finale. And while Jordan knows Poppy is way too young to understand the innuendo and subtext of the Kiss routine, Casey and Kevin are definitely not.

Jordan is certain that it is her civic duty to prepare her older brothers accordingly. So they won’t get heart attacks on the show.

While Casey and Kevin do like Scott, Jordan is also aware that her older brothers sometimes still think of Tessa as a virginal teenager. So they are totally going to get a rude awakening if they watch that cha cha routine live, with no preparation or heads up.

_ [Note: Ten years ago, Jordan, Kevin and Casey would never have thought about Tessa finding the love of her life in Kate Virtue’s young and skinny pro partner. Scott had barely looked like he was out of puberty, and the Virtues hadn’t thought twice about semi-adopting him into their family. So Jordan’s not even entirely sure how her brothers had taken the news of Tessa and Scott dating. Also, while Jordan knows they have watched Virtuemoir routines like Carmen on television, that was really before her brothers actually knew there were real shenanigans happening between Tessa and Scott. Before they knew Tessa was actually dating... and sleeping with Scott.] _

So Jordan can already foresee Kiss being a thing. And then the extra cherry on the finale cake is Tessa and Scott’s freestyle. 

Jordan knows she is biased, but she thinks Moulin Rouge is probably the best freestyle that has  _ ever _ been performed on DWTS across all the seasons. And this is just from watching Tessa and Scott’s dress rehearsal. 

When Tessa had first shared with Jordan last week their idea to do a broadway inspired routine to Moulin Rouge, Jordan admits she had been skeptical. Being the big DWTS fan that she is, Jordan is aware of how these movie/musical inspired freestyles can sometimes work and sometimes really fail. She honestly thought it would be safer for Tessa and Scott to do something more classic or contemporary-inspired. And she had totally felt justified in her views when the judges ended up falling over themselves praising Tessa and Scott’s Latch routine.

However, Tessa had told Jordan how Moulin Rouge was something she and Scott had watched on Netflix during the early weeks of the season. Back when they were just bonding, hanging out together and there was simmering unresolved sexual tension between the two of them. For a split second, Jordan was horrified that Tessa might be about to share details of a Netflix and chill situation with her (the sisters are close, but they are not that close!). However thankfully, Tessa just wanted to explain how much she and Scott enjoyed the film, and how Scott in a passing comment had mentioned how well suited Tessa would be to play someone like Satine. 

Apparently, the thought had secretly remained in his head for all of the subsequent weeks whenever he thought about the finale. Scott finally floated the idea to her when they were in the middle of semi-finals rehearsal, and while it had initially taken Tessa aback, Scott had been so enthusiastic and convincing that Tessa very quickly found herself swept up by the concept as well.

It definitely has all the elements you can possibly want in a freestyle, and now that Jordan has watched the routine for the first time (and has finished picking her jaw off the ground), she exchanges stunned, wordless glances with Eric. The cameraman just gives her an amusing smirk and nods like he knows how much her mind has been blown.

“OMG, this is amazing!” Jordan finally finds herself gushing. After she feels like she can speak again. Her eyes are wide and she actually has a palm pressed firmly over her chest. Because she genuinely feels she has difficulty catching her breath. “You two are  _ definitely _ going to win!” 

Because no matter how technically competent or likeable Michelle Kwan, Jeffrey Buttle or Javier Fernandez might be, and how well they are progressing with their respective pro partners… there is no way they can come up with anything to beat Tessa and Scott together. 

Not if they remind both the judges and audiences how wonderful that P&P waltz is. And then add that incredible Prince cha cha to it. And finally cap the night off with Moulin Rouge. 

Jordan is not even sure how the public is going to recover from Moulin Rouge. 

Because… because it really is  _ too much! _

Tessa and Scott’s weekly DWTS videos are already doing far better than their fellow competitors on Youtube. Although Jordan knows that not all of the show’s audience is online (DWTS famously has fans voting from all across different demographics), it is quite clear that Tessa and Scott’s videos always do well and easily have over a million views each.

So Jordan doesn’t know quite why... but she suspects Tessa and Scott’s Moulin Rouge might break the internet. 

She truly wonders how much or even whether she should warn her unsuspecting sister and her adorably besotted boyfriend (who’s been on the show so long and has been so successful that he really shouldn’t be this clueless), of what might be coming their way. 

If Virtuemoir fans and the casual public are already viewing Latch as a possible secret declaration of love between Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, Jordan can’t even contemplate how this Moulin Rouge freestyle might be received. 

Watching Tessa and Scott be so happy during their rehearsal though, Jordan doesn’t quite want to intrude in their little bubble of happiness and obliviousness. 

With a little mental shrug, Jordan reminds herself she might have been lurking online a bit too much. And so she only has to wait a few more days until the finale to see how people will really react.

=====

Jordan is right. 

Moulin Rouge completely breaks the internet. 

*****

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think watching DWTS in real life has surprisingly not been helpful in inspiring me for this AU. However, I know it’s been awhile since I updated I Wanna Dance With Somebody, and I want to assure any readers still out there, that I still intend to update and finish all my current VM AUs. 
> 
> Also I deliberately crafted my DWTS celebrity cast list so that I would not have any real ice skaters that competed on the show, but of course Johnny Weir is actually competing this season! [Note: good thing fashion designer Johnny Weir wasn’t the strongest and got voted out earlier so that I wouldn’t have to deal with him still being around in this DWTS AU competition.] This is what happens when you take too long to update your AUs. I also thought I would be safe because we are not exactly currently post-Winter Olympics and typically, DWTS only likes to cast recent Olympic champions on the show.


	12. Post-DWTS Life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m sorry. I think I just really needed to take a break from writing for about the last month or so. Because as we all know, 2020 was not the greatest, and I was kinda exhausted from work. Especially since there wasn’t a chance for a holiday the entire year, whilst I just kept working without taking leave.
> 
> I’m still kinda tired but I’m hoping this chapter gets me back into the rhythm of writing again.
> 
> Also in better news, I’m an aunt again. My family is pitching in to ensure my sister has as much time and energy to focus on her newborn during this period. Which also means my niece has been wearing me out with her requests to keep her company/entertained.

When Tessa first signed up for DWTS, she had naturally thought about the possibility of winning the Mirrorball Trophy. After all, when you decide to commit three months of your life to a reality dance show competition, you really should have some desire to make it to the end. Otherwise, it really isn’t worth all the hours of intensive rehearsal.

However, she never actually thought she would _win!_ Especially when she first learned who else was in the cast. And she definitely never thought that along the way she would reconnect with Scott and fall in love with him.

It really is crazy how life unfolds. Like a story straight out of the movies. Not too long ago, Scott Moir was a random friend of the family. The young dancer paired up with her mother a decade ago when Kate decided to expand her horizons and go on a celebrity dance show. Much to the surprise of her children.

However, in just a few short months, Tessa’s relationship with Scott had completely changed and she was holding Scott’s hand as they danced their hearts out in the finale of DWTS. Eventually being crowned champions at the end of a long and grueling season. With Tessa now finding herself in New York with Scott, waiting to appear on Good Morning America (GMA) to discuss their Mirrorball win from the night before. 

Dance has certainly taken her completely unawares and turned her life upside down. And it’s all because of the man sitting beside her, still holding her hand.

Tessa looks down at their fingers interlaced together, and smiles. They’ve barely had a moment alone together since the stage was dramatically dimmed and there was a spotlight vacillating between her and Scott, and Michelle and Patch as the final two couples. Climatic music thundering across the studio. 

When Elvis had finally announced them as the winners, Tessa had leapt into Scott’s arms and for maybe two blissful seconds, they were the only two people in the world… 

Then everyone flooded the dance floor to congratulate them and it’s been craziness and bombardment ever since. 

Her phone’s been exploding with texts and notifications of congratulations, but Tessa has put them all aside to read at a later date. Frankly, she just wants to collapse into a dead sleep, snuggled in Scott’s warm embrace for at least half the day.

However this GMA appearance is part of the DWTS contract so she and Scott will have to get this appearance out of the way before they can relax and fully enjoy their win together. Because after she wakes ups from a dead sleep with Scott, refreshed… Tessa definitely has ideas on how else the two of them can celebrate.

Tessa does wonder though whether the GMA anchors are likely to ask her and Scott about their rumoured relationship. She has heard from Jordan that their Moulin Rouge routine had gone viral, propelling further speculation that she and Scott are dating. So even though some of these anchors are amongst her friends and ex-colleagues, Tessa knows there’s a high likelihood that they might probe her a little on the subject during the interview.

There’s definitely a part of Tessa which would be happy to share the news on television. The season is over and there is no real reason for her and Scott to keep things quiet any longer. Not to mention it would be additional publicity for both her talk show and Scott’s song-and-dance tour, which will be starting in about a month.

However in reality, Scott and her have not had the chance to discuss when exactly they intend to go public. While they had mentioned they would wait until the season ends, Tessa and Scott had been much more focused on trying to reach the finale, than thinking about what came after. 

Just as Tessa opens her mouth to ask Scott what exactly they would be willing to reveal in this interview, there is a knock on the door informing them they are about to go on air.

* 

“Good morning America and welcome back to the show. Just before the break, we had introduced Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, who won Dancing with the Stars last night! Tessa, I must ask how you felt when it came down to you and Michelle Kwan as the final two, and Elvis announced your name?” The veteran anchor Tracy Wilson asks with a curious lilt in her voice. She was apparently a huge fan of DWTS, and Scott had mentioned to Tessa on the flight that she would likely take the lead in their interview. 

“I say it was definitely nerve-wrecking. Michelle, like myself, had never been in the bottom before and she also scored perfect 10s for all her dances in the finals, so I really had no sense of which way the public vote would go. And her contemporary freestyle was undeniably elegant and beautiful!” Tessa gushes. “So I was definitely worried! But Elvis called my name, and I think you can see my happiness as I jumped into Scott’s arms. We had worked so hard these last few months, and it’s great to find that viewers have recognised our efforts.”

Tracy smiles, before moving on to chat a bit more with Tessa about her talk show, such as when it's debuting and how they hope to differentiate themselves from the others. Then Tracy turns her attention towards Scott. 

“Scott, I want to congratulate you as well on your sixth Mirrorball win. That is quite the record you’ve established for yourself on the show. What is different about this win though? What is it about Tessa that you felt helped you both to the win?”

Scott beams proudly. “Tessa is a natural talent. I honestly feel like she would have become a prima ballerina or something if she had taken up ballet properly as a child and stayed with it over the years. She’s also super hard-working, which is pretty much all you can ask for on a show like this. I count myself as very lucky to have been paired up with her this season. She has so much passion and enthusiasm for dance that I found her extremely inspiring throughout the season. I was never bored and I definitely think I came up with some of my most creative pieces this season because of her.”

Scott reaches over to pat Tessa on the arm. The action is purely platonic but Tessa can see how Tracy’s smile deepens.

“I must say, I’ve been watching Dancing with the Stars since Season 1, and your freestyle last night was _incredible!_ Probably the best ever on the show!” Tracy leans in with a conspiratorial grin. “And I’m clearly not the only one who feels this way. Because overnight, there’s already been over four million views for the routine online. In fact, it’s been less than 12 hours since it’s been posted on YouTube and your numbers keep growing! Everyone’s talking about it and the two of you together! You can even see some of the popular comments and tweets circulating social media there on the screen behind you… How do you feel about all this attention?!”

Tessa and Scott exchange bemused and awkward glances. Despite Jordan’s mention, they had no clue they or their Moulin Rouge routine was trending so strongly. Or that based on those tweets flashing on the screen, that so many people were so thirsty about their ‘insane chemistry’! 

“Well... honestly we had no idea!” Scott blurts out with a sheepish air. “We had to rush to the airport after the show last night to reach New York in time for this GMA taping. I admit I'm still kinda sleep deprived and definitely not aware of anything going on online.”

“We definitely felt strongly about the routine though,” Tessa interjects. “And are grateful the audience enjoyed it so much. Maybe it helped tipped us over for the win!”

Tracy laughs, mentioning how Tessa and Scott had definitely been a favourite to win all season and how in her view, the Moulin Rouge freestyle only helped seal the deal for them. 

Then with a gleam in her eye, Tracy says, “I must ask though… There’s been a lot of speculation that the two of you might be romantically involved. And some of your fans have noticed this little moment from last night’s show.”

GMA proceeds to show a clip of the few seconds right after Elvis announces they’ve won, when Tessa and Scott are wrapped up in a joyous embrace. Despite the noise in the studio and the crowd around them on the dancefloor, you can hear someone say “I love you so much” in the background of the shot. Tessa and Scott can immediately identify the voice as Scott’s.

“It’s rather soft, and not very clear who said those words… but many people believe it sounds a lot like you, Scott!” Tracy’s grin widens. 

When Tessa (and millions of other viewers) watch this interview clip back again, it’s quite clear that both she and Scott look completely stunned. Tessa’s mouth has dropped open a little, making her look half-guilty and half-mortified. While Scott’s hazel eyes are blown wide open as he blinks rapidly. 

Too many awkward seconds pass in silence as Tessa and Scott try to find their balance again from this shock. 

Finally, it is Scott who jumps in. Trying to play things off with, “Well, I don’t remember much from the craziness of last night, but people might know I’m a pretty effusive guy and I probably did say something like that. Tessa is the best and I’ve so adored this season with her!” 

He says it quite coolly, as he flings an arm around her shoulders in a jovial friendly-like manner. He’s very careful not to catch her eye and yet Tessa immediately understands his plan: to distract and not address, let alone confirm the existence of the elephant in the room.

Tessa half-believes they _may_ be able to get themselves out of this fix of theirs. [ _Note: She’s also a little annoyed they got ambushed like this. Despite the multitude of messages she hadn’t gotten round to reading yet, surely she and Scott could have gotten a heads up this might be coming their way.]_

“Yes, clearly I’ve enjoyed my time on DWTS too!” Tessa says rather steadily. 

While Scott had just proven he’s quite the actor (by pretending that his exuberant nature leads him to throw around the ‘I love you’ phrase to a dozen people in a day)… Tessa feels she also has experience remaining composed during difficult interviews. She likes to think she has some skill in steering interviews, even though she’s usually the interviewer instead of the target of the questions. 

With her media-ready smile on hand, Tessa says, “And I'm not sure what I’ll do without seeing my partner here every day! I’ve already convinced Scott he has to be a regular guest on my talk show. I’ve suggested he can help front some of the cooking segments because I’m going to look terrified half the time and there’s a really good chance I might set something on fire!”

She blathers on determinedly, even joking about how if the Ellen Show can have a resident DJ, then the Tessa Virtue Show can have a resident dancer, who will partner her audience during the commercial breaks. 

Maybe the tactic works, maybe it doesn’t… but at least they have to try!

Because clearly today is not the day she and Scott are going to go public with their relationship.

===== 

“Scotty!” 

The twin yells came abruptly across the carpark, but Scott was prepared for it. He barely had time to brace himself and look up from the clipboard his tour manager was holding, when he was attacked by hugs from both sides by his brothers. 

Keegan, his manager, looked startled and almost panicked for a few seconds with Scott being mobbed by these two grown men trying to dogpile him. But clearly he quickly figured out the family resemblance between Scott and his two “attackers”. Scott’s wide grin also probably reassured Keegan he wasn’t in any danger, as he eventually motioned to Keegan to escape from the scene of this unruly family reunion.

When Scott had arranged for his tour to stop at London, Ontario, he knew it would be his most ‘exciting’ stop purely because so many of his family and friends would be in the audience. For some of his nephews and nieces, it would also be the first time they would be seeing him perform live. And Scott had been duly informed how particularly thrilled they are to come see the show and visit him backstage.

“Danny, Charlie! Where are the rest of the rugrats?”

“The plan is for the rest of the family to descend later. I know a bachelor such as yourself sometimes forget basic facts, but during weekdays, the children usually have to attend school. They can’t just skip class because their famous uncle is in town…”

“Mom used to write notes for us all the time!” Scott jokes.

“Back when we were competing and actually representing Canada internationally! Not like for a show!” Danny exclaims as the conversation devolves for a few minutes into another tussle. 

Eventually, it gets more serious as Scott’s brothers update him about their lives and how the extended Moir family had been doing since he last visited. In turn, he shares with them about how well the tour is doing (it’s been sold out pretty much at every city) and some of his other news from LA. Scott realises quickly though that his brothers are only interested in two topics: whether he is staying on at DWTS, and how the hell he managed to score a girl like Tessa. 

Scott openly shares with them his decision to leave DWTS. Career-wise, he’s been lucky to get plenty of opportunities outside of the show, and while he’s grateful for his time there, he thinks it’s about time to move on to the next phase of his life. _[Note: Danny, in particular, is very happy to hear this. ]_

With regard to Tessa though, Scott tries to remain as silent as possible. He loves his brothers but there’s a reason he’s glad only his mother has met Tessa thus far. Scott shudders to think what it would be like to expose Tessa to the chaos of the extended Moir clan and the many embarrassing stories his family will fall over themselves to share with her. He would like to retain his dignity for as long as possible before his brothers do their best to destroy her positive impression of him. He’s also still thankful that his mother had met Tessa in LA and not in Ilderton, where she has ready access to the family photo albums. There’s too many naked baby pictures of him his mother could get her hands on to embarrass him.

And so a part of Scott is happy that Tessa is safely in LA when the swarm of Moirs do descend onto the theatre later that afternoon and evening. Scott delights in all their company and noise. Whether the little Moirs are yelling to gain his attention, demand a piggyback ride or just share what happened in school that day... or the bigger Moirs are trying to nose their way into his affairs, Scott relishes being in the thick of all that chaos. Their energy truly hypes him up and he does think he performs one of his best shows that night. 

At the end of the night though, being around most of his family and loved ones makes him long more for the one person who is glaringly absent - Tessa.

Usually, Scott really enjoys being on tour. In contrast to most people who hate being on the road for months, Scott has no qualms spending time on a confined tour bus with all his backup dancers. He thinks of it as a weird kind of travelling summer camp with some of his favourite people, which gives him the chance to visit all these cities and little towns across North America. Touring has also always been a wonderful way for him to express himself creatively and connect with all his fans. 

This tour is different though. Scott is only halfway through the itinerary and already there’s a part of him which longs to return to LA. 

And longs to be back with Tessa. 

They’d been spoiled by DWTS where they had been allowed to spend practically every day together. Although Tessa and Scott make tremendous effort to speak and connect with each other all the time now, the distance and their hectic schedules sometimes made things difficult. For example, because of their separate work obligations, Tessa had been too busy to fly out and watch any of his shows. _[Note: she intends to catch the show when it finally reaches LA.]_

Similarly, Scott had thus far been unable to attend a single taping of Tessa’s new talk show. He especially laments that he couldn’t fly back to LA for her premiere. He would have liked to have been present in the studio to cheer her on, but the dates for his tour had been arranged and booked almost a year ago. 

Unfortunately, he had no idea that in the intervening months he would be partnered with Tessa Virtue on DWTS and fall completely head over heels in love with her. Instead, he had to resign himself to sending him the biggest bouquet of lilies he could arrange from across the country. And he made sure Patrick personally hand-delivered a gift from him on the big day. It was a little modern snow globe, with a dancer and the Eiffel Tower in the background which Scott thought had matched the decor of her set design perfectly. _[Note: He was glad to see she liked it because she must have placed his small talk show house-warming gift on the side table of her sofa chair immediately. He had noticed it that first episode, and it has remained beside her for every episode since.]_

He’s only glad that his tour started on the east coast and is slowly moving west, with it ending in LA. 

It sort of feels like he is slowly making his way home… to Tessa. 

=====

“You do realise you are not fooling anyone right?” Jordan declares as Tessa and Scott jump apart with slightly guilty expressions on their faces. She rolls her eyes.

They had been wrapped up in one another in Tessa’s dressing room, probably whispering more gooey sweet nothings, when Jordan had barged into the room. It really is kinda ridiculous how enamoured the pair is with one another. Jordan would be disgusted if she didn’t love her sister and was secretly delighted that Tessa had seemed to find happiness with Scott. _[Note: She’s not going to let on how much she ships them though. As an older sister, Jordan feels it is her prerogative to rag them for the rest of their lives.]_

Honestly, Scott had only ended his tour over a week ago, and from what Jordan has gleaned, Tessa and Scott have spent almost every morsel of free time together since. 

It’s no wonder the rumour mill has gone into overdrive again.

Speculation about Tessa and Scott had quietened for the months whilst Scott was off on tour. After all, it’s hard to find proof of a suspected romance when the two people in question are no longer seen together. Not to mention, Tessa had seemed busy with the new talk show whilst Scott was off bumping and grinding on stage with his back-up dancers across the country. Jordan had lurked online and had been quite amused to see fans freak out and lament that the two of them were never really a couple after all.

However, now that Scott is back in town, other discerning fans have noticed how frequently the two of them were spotted in each other’s orbit. Tessa for instance was seen front and centre cheering loudly in the audience when Scott’s tour ended in LA. And the next afternoon, Scott was observed visiting her talk show set. Since then, they have even been caught by paparazzi a few times sharing meals together. 

At this point, Jordan is only surprised nothing more revealing has been captured on camera or online. Given the scene she just walked into, it’s absurd that Tessa and Scott are still trying to hide their relationship. The two can barely keep their hands off one another.

Jordan raises an arch eyebrow as Tessa reaches over to clean off the smudge of lipstick she’s left on the corner of Scott’s mouth. “Honestly if this is how you both have been behaving everytime Scott visits you on set, everyone working on this talk show must already know you two are dating. It’s probably a total open secret by now with your colleagues and with your fans! How much longer are you planning to keep this quiet?”

“Well... we’re not actually keeping it secret anymore. Which is why we are going for dates and spending time together in public, and I think my entire crew is well aware about my relationship with Scott,” Tessa explains as she moves to fix her hair in the mirror. _[Note: Scott is just staring adoringly at Tessa, which makes Jordan want to sigh louder.]_ “In fact, we’ve been talking about whether we should do something more official. Maybe even reveal it on the show.”

“What?!”

Jordan’s jaw drops. She was not expecting this. 

Given Tessa’s taciturn nature and the amount of secrecy Tessa and Scott have kept their blossoming relationship under these last few months, Jordan had thought she might have to bully the couple into seeing reason. She never expected them to make a decision like this so easily. And not on the show!

“It’s not like we ever meant to keep things secret so long.” Tessa replies to Jordan, throwing a shy smile at Scott who continues to look at Tessa as if angels are playing harp music. “It’s just you know how crazy things got during DWTS. Especially right after the finale. It felt weird to announce or declare anything then… like we were hawking our relationship to promote our respective shows. But now that the tour is over, and my talk show is more established and doing well in the ratings, it feels like the right time to share our relationship with people.” With a wry grin, Tessa adds, “Also my producers are very keen.”

“Apparently they thought we could do a dance performance on the show.” Scott interjects drolly. “Tessa is open to the idea but suggested it might be better to maybe save that idea for the first season finale of the show. Do you have any suggestions, Jordan?”

“Why can’t you just announce it on social media like most other couples?” Jordan exclaims with another raised eyebrow. “If you want to be slightly different, you could recreate the scene from five minutes ago, and I could take a photo of you two making out on the sofa to go along with your announcement?”

Tessa rolls her eyes affectionately at her sister. “We don’t want to make it a _thing,_ and on the show we would be able to control the narrative a little… Scott’s preference is to go about our days normally and pretend it isn’t a big deal at all.”

Scott shrugs. “I don’t want to be pressured to say or do anything just because of the press or public. The next time a journalist asks me if I am attached, I’m happy to just say yes and confirm that it’s Tessa. It’s my choice to continue with whatever further information I am willing or not willing to share. There’s always going to be an ebb and flow with these types of attention and I feel we just have to adapt to the situation as we go along...”

Even though Jordan is not in the limelight like Tessa or Scott, she understands the dilemma they are in. It’s the reality they’ve had to live in and the more successful they’ve gotten in their careers, the more attention Tessa and Scott will receive no matter how much they might want or try to keep certain parts of their lives private. 

Jordan tilts her head to consider the situation further, before turning to smirk at Tessa. 

“You know how you were considering allowing cameras into your apartment so that your audience could get a peek into your personal life? Like a day in the life of a newly exhausted talk show host? I’ve been to your place and I know Scott is there half the time. Why don’t you just let them see those glimpses of your life together, slip in a reference or two to Scott, and let them just figure it out?”

Tessa’s brow furrows. “What do you mean?”

“I mean you could show the two of you brushing teeth in the morning, but I think that’s a bit overt,” Jordan replies with a snicker. “You’ve been teasing the internet since the start of your relationship. Why not continue the trend of letting them figure things out and flail around in excitement at their supposed sleuthing. They’ll be happy to have their confirmation, whilst you can continue to be as quiet as you want to be… You might as well have a bit of fun with it.”

Jordan laughs as she observes Tessa and Scott exchange contemplative glances. She feels a bit like the Pied Piper, leading these two young’uns down this path. However, as a secret Virtuemoir lurker online who feels some sympathy for fans, she feels compelled to nudge Tessa and Scott forward, whilst throwing the fandom a bone or two. 

After all, Tessa and Scott are already open to being a couple in public... 

And if Jordan helps them with their reveal… she knows she’ll be helping fulfil the dreams of thousands of Virtuemoir fans. 

It’ll be her good deed for the year. 

=====

In Tessa’s previous role as an anchor and correspondent, she had garnered the reputation and image of being smart but aloof. People had commented how she seemed to hide behind her brains and rarely commented about her personal life or even her personal views. 

Tessa paid them no mind. After all, she had started on the news beat and as a young professional, she was eager to convey how seriously she took her career. She was also very wary of how young women could be portrayed in the media and so was careful about what she shared about herself publicly. 

Being on The View however, Tessa naturally had more opportunity to show off her personality. Also being older and more established in her career, she was more willing to share parts of herself on camera. However it wasn’t until DWTS and now the Tessa Virtue Show, that Tessa feels she has fully blossomed into her authentic self. She is no longer afraid. And she is happy to allow her fans the chance to really know her better. 

Tessa (and Jordan) was amused by how delighted viewers were when they learned she was going to show behind-the-scenes snippets of how the talk show was mounted. There were cheers online when Tessa further advertised that part of the upcoming segment would involve her sharing various aspects of her personal life and schedule. 

Her fans were clearly not expecting the full range of goodies provided in the actual segment though. 

For example, when Tessa welcomed the camera and audience into her apartment, viewers could see many of the gorgeous heels and flats she had on the shoe rack by the door. Amidst the top row though, was not only a pair of sky blue, men’s sized Converse sneakers but also a pair of nice leather loafers. Which clearly did not belong to Tessa. 

That started the scuttlebutt rolling online. 

As Tessa showed off her living room and explained how she prefers white and clean lines in her furniture, eagle-eyed viewers were able to zero in on the Mirrorball Trophy in her bookcase which were flanked by photos of her and Scott together. One was them in their Moulin Rouge costumes, hugging as Elvis announced they had won the competition, while the other was in a more casual setting. With Tessa and Scott grinning widely and pressed against each other in everyday clothes.

More eyebrows were raised. And the more excited members of the fandom indeed started to flail online.

When Tessa introduced viewers to her kitchen, she shared how glad she was that it was getting more use now and wasn’t wasted on her terrible cooking skills. Again, sharp-eyed viewers noticed the cute pair of his / hers cups handily placed near the coffee machine.

On their own, these were small bits of evidence. But combined together, it really was starting to look like Tessa had a regular male visitor to her home. One that maybe / hopefully went by the name of Scott Moir. More squeals ensued.

Confirmation however by the fandom, only came when Tessa allowed a sneak peek into her walk-in closet. 

Although most fans wanted to exclaim and gush about some of her lovely clothes, a smaller segment of her ardent viewers were more preoccupied with what looked like men’s clothing in the far corner. 

Not many details could be discerned, but there was a denim jacket, a red and black checked shirt, and a white polo shirt with a distinctive orange collar that seemed very familiar and recognisable to fans. That polo shirt, for example, had been won by Scott more than once during those behind-the-scenes DWTS video packages. The final nail in the coffin was a duffel bag half hidden underneath those clothes. Though the logo was partially obscured, fans were still able to recognise it as belonging to the Moir Dance Studio in Ilderton.

Once fans zeroed in on that bag, it was apparently the final piece of evidence they needed. 

All hell broke loose in the Virtuemoir fandom again.

  
  


*****

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Um… I only thought about this fic up to the finale of DWTS, so I’m not quite sure how and where I’m going to end this story… So we’ll see how it goes. 
> 
> Also I decided to do a little collage of photos at the end of the chapter instead of inserting it directly in the fic. Thought maybe this method might be cleaner?


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